He enjoys the pressure.
He makes the difference.
Key points for the man who has become Matildas’ third coach since 2019.
Sweden’s Tony Gustavsson, with a 21-year-old CV, brings a bag full of football coaches and titles, having won the last two FIFA World Cup and Olympic gold with the US national team, the best in the world.
He is credited with most of the team’s technical prowess, having been the assistant to US head coach Jill Ellis since 2014.
He now moves on to the role of head coach of a national team that he believes is “what he takes”.
He knows how to win.
He believes in the spirit of Matildas.
His job is to bring “add-ons” to the team he says could be a world beater.
Gustavsson told Ticket that he was not afraid of the hopes the Australians had for their favorite team.
“I’ve been in the head cooker several times as head coach and assistant coach.”
Ask any athlete and they will tell you that the weight of hope can crush them.
The hope is always for the Australians to win, no matter who they are, and Gustavson knows it.
“Especially on home soil in the 2023 World Cup … these players are getting used to performing with expectations on their moors and don’t see it as a burden,” he says, “but something that really Lifts us up in. “
And there’s a lot more to pick up.
Gustavson has to run
He will not take up the post until January 2021. Six months later, Matildas will compete in the Tokyo Olympics.
A year later it will be the Asian Cup in India, followed by the FIFA 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When asked if the fans’ expectations for success in each one were reasonable, he said: “Isn’t he going to be a fan – not entitled to what you want to hope for? “
“What can I say that the team is now ranked seventh in the world.
“I have always seen Matildas as a team that can beat any team in the world and has the potential to be one of the best in the world.
“But I also know from experience going to these types of tournaments what kind of margin you have to be prepared for and one thing I will say is readiness.
“So once you stand in the opening game of the Olympics or the opening game of the World Cup on home soil, if we feel ready, we’re going to feel confident.”
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It’s not just football that knows how to bring 47-year-old Sweden Matilda.
He is a teacher, a traveler and a cultural observer.
“I know how important it is to be a teacher or a coach in a classroom environment, to embrace this culture, but also to see the individual differences between each player and each team to be able to get the most out of it,” Gustavson said. . .
“What I want to do is get all these people, these players, the staff, these fans, the participants, to learn more about the culture.
“What I will say about culture is that I always want my team to be a team that is not always big one day, trying to be good one day.
“The foundation and foundation of everything we do is a great sense of humor and fighting spirit and a never-ending mentality.”
By appointing Gustavson, the Football Federation of Australia not only wanted to give the Matildas the best opportunity to reach their potential on the world stage but also to lay the foundation for sustainable development globally to ensure the experience.
The new Matildas coach said that in his first discussion with the governing body, it was clear to him that he shared the same passion “to build a legacy greater than his own”.
“Obviously, winning is part of it, but winning is a small part of the bigger picture here,” he said.
“It’s about building a heritage together with a nation and being asked to be a small part of it, I’m really excited and grateful … I’ve been in it all since that day.”
Gustavsson is currently working as a first-team coach with the Swedish Alsvensken club Hammerby IF until the end of 2020 but is expected to spend time with Matildas at the Europe-based camp in November before starting fulltime on January 1, 2021. Will spend.
