Former Australia defender Tony Popovic has been confirmed as the inaugural head coach of the new A-League club representing western Sydney.
Sydney-born Popovic announced he had signed a four-year deal with the new club at a press conference on Thursday.
It is the 38-year-old s first head coaching role after previous stints as an assistant at both Sydney FC and English Championship club Crystal Palace, who formally released Popovic from the final year of his contract on Tuesday.
Chairman of the new Sydney club Lyall Gorman said Popovic was the natural choice for the role.
Everyone in the game knows and respects Tony s leadership qualities as a player in the Socceroos and in 400 games of club football, Gorman said.
There s no doubt Tony will bring those qualities to the new club. He has the coaching skills and the character to be successful in the A-League and his heritage in western Sydney makes him a fine ambassador for the region.
I m delighted to have a man of the stature of Tony Popovic as one of the pioneers of the new club in western Sydney.
Popovic welcomed the challenge of establishing a new club in the heartland of Australian football.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to coach the new club in western Sydney and I m really excited about the mission ahead of us, Popovic said.
I grew up in west Sydney and learned my football there, but it s the challenge of a start up club in football s heartland that has brought me home.
I know the region has a great passion for the game, fantastic junior ranks and thousands of life-long fans. These are ingredients that can help make our club a success.
Popovic, who knocked back an offer from former club Sydney FC over the weekend, will need to get to work immediately with the new A-League season less than five months away.
His first job will be to start forming a competitive playing roster, as well as assembling his backroom staff.
There are a host of players Popovic could have at his disposal with the likes of former Adelaide playmaker Marcos Flores, released Melbourne Victory pair Ante Covic and Carlos Hernandez, and Newcastle contingent Tarek Elrich, Kasey Wehrman and Ali Abbas all linked with the club.
Popovic, who played 59 games for the Socceroos, enjoyed nearly two decades as a professional player.
He started his playing career with Sydney United before spells with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan, Palace, Qatar s Al Arabi and Sydney FC.
Popovic was an assistant to John Kosmina at the Sky Blues in 2008 before continuing the role for another two seasons under Vitezslav Lavicka.
He spent one season at Crystal Palace under good friend Dougie Freeman, helping the club get to the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.
