The Matildas' lengthy wait for a permanent head coach is almost over, with Football Australia reportedly set to appoint highly respected manager Joe Montemurro to lead the national side.
The period, which began after Tony Gustavsson’s exit in August 2024, left players and fans alike questioning the team’s strategic direction — especially with the 2026 Asian Cup on the horizon.
Joe Montemurro set to return home to lead Matildas
According to French outlet L'Equipe, Montemurro will depart women's football powerhouse Lyon at the end of the current season, despite having a contract with the club until 2027.
Once that exit is finalised, Football Australia will likely confirm its deal with him.
The Melbourne-born coach will return to Australian football after a decorated career in Europe.
Montemurro, 54, boasts an impressive résumé.
He took charge of Arsenal in 2017, winning the FA Women's League Cup in his first season and guiding them to a Women’s Super League title in 2018–19.
In 2021, he joined Juventus and led the side to its best-ever UEFA Women’s Champions League run, reaching the quarter-finals.
Montemurro was widely considered the strongest candidate when the Matildas gig became available.
Gustavsson era ends in Olympic disappointment
Before the lengthy coaching search, Tony Gustavsson had spent four years at the Matildas' helm, steering the team to its best-ever results: a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a semi-final run at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
But the Swedish coach’s tenure ended on a sour note at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Australia failed to progress beyond the group stage – their worst performance since 2000.
Placed in Group B alongside Germany, Zambia, and the USA, the Matildas managed just one win and exited early with only three points.
Behind the scenes, player dissatisfaction had been brewing. Several members of the squad described Gustavsson’s reign as “four years of hell,” citing communication breakdowns and unclear tactical approaches.
His departure in August 2024 was described as a mutual decision between Gustavsson and Football Australia. Long-time coach Tom Sermanni was installed as interim manager soon after.
A team without direction?
The Matildas' extended spell without a full-time head coach took a visible toll. In 11 games under Sermanni, the side showed glimpses of promise but lacked consistency.
Their winless campaign at the SheBelieves Cup – where they lost all three matches – highlighted the challenges of operating without a stable tactical blueprint.
"Tommy's done a great job coming in. He creates an amazing culture for the girls, a real positive energy," defender Steph Catley said.
"You can't fault him and how he's gone about it, but it is difficult when you're trying to build towards something specific and it's been a while since we've sort of had that."
Players reportedly felt "in limbo" and were uncertain about team structure and long-term plans as major tournaments loomed.
Why has the Matildas coach search taken so long?
Securing the right candidate has proven difficult, with many top-tier coaches already tied to other contracts.
That includes Montemurro himself, who had only recently extended his deal with Lyon when Gustavsson exited.
Heather Garriock, chair of Football Australia's development committee, notes that patience has been key in this process.
"We weren’t there to settle. We could have settled. We’re not going to settle," she said.
"We’re going for the best. That’s all I’ll say."
Having Sermanni in an interim capacity gave FA the breathing room to conduct a thorough and global search.
Now, with Montemurro set to be at the helm with a clear vision in place, the Matildas can finally look ahead with renewed focus.