Huge interest in vacant Australian coach job: FFA

The soon to be vacant Australian coaching job has attracted huge interest from applicants around the world, Football Federation Australia said on Friday.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said his organisation had been flooded with phone calls, emails and CVs from managers around the world expressing their interest in coaching the Socceroos.

The position will become vacant when Pim Verbeek steps down after the World Cup in June.

Buckley said a decision is unlikely to be made until some months after the event, although an appointment is expected before Australia head to the Asian Cup in Qatar in January next year.

Several high-profile coaches have been linked with the position, with Dutchmen Frank Rijkaard, Leo Beenhakker, Johan Neeskens, Marco van Basten and Martin Jol all mentioned, alongside Frenchman Philippe Troussier and Italian Nevio Scala.

Buckley and a panel delegated to select the coach have already drawn up a shortlist but that has not stopped the outside interest.

“A lot of applicants who have applied could potentially meet what we’re after and there’s plenty of very good coaches who want the job,” Buckley told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“But it’s a matter of the right person being available and fitting our criteria. We’re well into the process, we have a committee that meets regularly and has identified a number of prospective candidates.”

Buckley said the FFA’s priority was to appoint a full-time coach as soon as possible after the World Cup.

“That’s our preference, absolutely,” he said. “But we have to acknowledge we operate in a global market and getting the best person for the long term may not be as immediate as we would like and we may have to keep our options open.”

Verbeek, who has been at the helm since December 2007, is leaving to take a technical position with Morocco.