What's happened
Tony Popovic has been appointed as the new head coach of Australia's national football team, the Socceroos, following Graham Arnold's resignation. Popovic aims to revitalize the team's World Cup qualifying campaign ahead of crucial matches against China and Japan in October.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Nick Mulvenney from The Independent, Popovic expressed excitement about coaching the Socceroos, stating, "Coaching the Socceroos is probably a dream come true." He emphasized the need for the team to aim for the top of their qualifying group. Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that Arnold's resignation left Australia in a precarious position for World Cup qualification. Football Australia chief James Johnson referred to Popovic as "the best possible candidate" for the role, indicating confidence in his ability to lead the team effectively.
How we got here
Graham Arnold resigned after disappointing results in World Cup qualifiers, including a 1-0 loss to Bahrain and a draw with Indonesia. Football Australia sought a permanent replacement quickly to prepare for upcoming matches.
More on these topics
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA.
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Graham James Arnold is an Australian association football manager and former player. Arnold was appointed to work as an assistant coach of the Australian national football team in 2000.
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a sovereign state in the Persian Gulf. The island nation comprises a small archipelago made up of 40 natural islands and an additional 51 artificial islands, centered around Bahrain Island which makes up arou
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Tony Popovic is an Australian association football manager and former player. He is the current manager of A-League club Melbourne Victory.
As a player Popovic's usual position was centre-back.
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Japan is an island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
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Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of more than seventeen thousand islands, including Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and New Guinea. Indonesia i
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Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands.