Barring unforeseen circumstances Tony Popovic will be the coach of the Western Sydney Wanderers until the end of the 2017/18 season – because he is the only man for the job, according to the club.
The contract extension was announced yesterday.
Following an undeniably impressive start to his coaching career at the Wanderers, winning the Hyundai A-League Premiers’ Plate in the club’s debut season, Popovic went on to lead his team to successive A-League grand finals.
And who can forget that last November 1 the Wanderers were crowned Asian club champions after winning the AFC Champions League.
Western Sydney to the core, the Socceroo great has been the key to the Wanderers successes to date and will drive the club forward well into the decade.
Wanderers chairman Paul Lederer believes Popovic is not just the right man for the job, but the only man for the job.
“Tony Popovic has already brought this club a great deal of success, but we want more, a lot more. He makes no secret of his demands on his team and his incredibly hardworking football staff but these are no more than the demands he makes on himself.
“Make no mistake. Tony Popovic is the only man for the job, he is an ideal fit for our culture and suits the ambitious plans we have for this club. Securing Tony is a huge step in the right direction to bringing more success and greater pride to the Wanderers and to Western Sydney.”
Having assembled the inaugural Wanderers squad with Popovic from a kitchen table in his Western Sydney home, Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas early on knew that something special was beginning.
“From my first conversation with Tony I knew that the Wanderers had found something special,” Tsatsimas said yesterday at the contract extension announcement.
“Tony is steadfast, determined, meticulous in detail and an intelligent coach whose entire focus is on the success of this football club.
“He is across every element of the club and has a passion for this team that anyone who knows him well realises is going to generate more success for the Wanderers in the coming three years.”
The current AFC Coach of the Year praised his players, support staff and the club for their achievements but promised more to come.
“Work for next season has already begun and our aim is to get back to the top where we belong.
“This season we had some adversity and that can destroy you or make you stronger – everyone will see a stronger Wanderers next season.”
With a full off-season to recruit and prepare for the Hyundai A-League 2015/16 season the future looks bright for the Wanderers to continue on their course to becoming a globally recognised and respected football club – the pride of Western Sydney.
