Tony Popovic is set to become the next Socceroos manager as Football Australia closes in on finalising Graham Arnold’s replacement.
Popovic, who won 58 caps for the Socceroos as a centre-back, is expected to arrive in Australia on Sunday with a view to FA unveiling him as coach as early as Monday.
Bookmakers suspended betting on the identity of the next Socceroos coach on Sunday, two days after Arnold opted to step aside.
FA declined to comment when contacted by AAP, but it is expected that Popovic’s contract will run until the end of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
FA chief executive James Johnson indicated on Friday that his organisation would move quickly to finalise Arnold’s replacement, and Popovic’s experience and availability made him the leading contender from the outset.
The 51-year-old has been out of work since leaving Melbourne Victory following their A-League Men grand final loss to the Central Coast Mariners.
The former defender has been living in Croatia since he opted against renewing his contract with Victory, and it remains unclear how much time he will split between his family in Europe and coaching duties in Australia.
He was arguably the best-credentialled candidate available to FA given he has worked as an assistant at Crystal Palace and taken charge of clubs in Turkey and Greece.
Popovic has enjoyed most success as a head coach in Australia, guiding the Western Sydney Wanderers to Asian Champions League glory in 2014, lifting the ALM premiership with Perth Glory, and the Australia Cup with Victory.
He had previously been in the running for the Socceroos job in 2013, receiving a ringing endorsement from Tim Cahill before losing out to Ange Postecoglou.
Popovic will be charged with ensuring Australia continues its run of qualifying for the World Cup, which stretches back to 2006 and is under threat after the last two games of Arnold’s reign.
Arnold ended his six-year tenure with a 1-0 loss at home to Bahrain and a 0-0 draw away to Indonesia, leaving his successor facing an uphill task to qualify automatically.
Should the Socceroos fail to finish in the top two spots in Group C, there are two further rounds of matches that can help stamp their ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
Popovic is expected to take control of his first match against China in Adelaide on October 10, before an away trip to face unbeaten group leader Japan five days later.
He will have a little over a week to finalise a squad of players for October's matches and must quickly figure out a way to break down stoic Asian defences that proved to be Arnold's undoing in the final matches of his tenure.
