The Australian Head coach joins the Philippine Women’s National Team (PWNT) with an extensive resumé of coaching in Australia. Included in his 25-years of coaching experience, Stajcic had previously been the head coach of the Matildas and most recently Central Coast Mariners.
Alen Stajcic’s Philippine Women’s National Team appointment
- Joins the team ahead of their 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup appearance.
- The PWNT are ranked 68th by FIFA and have never qualified for an Olympics or World Cup
- Stajcic has extensive previous head coaching experience including with the Matildas and most recently Central Coast Mariners
The full announcement was made by the Philippines Football Federation and can be viewed using this link.
Stajcic’s is best known for his time coaching the Australian Women’s National Team from 2014 to 2019. During this period he guided them to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2016 Rio Olympic Games and helped qualify the Matildas for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Despite being nominated in 2018 for Best FIFA Women’s Coach, his Matildas tenure came to a controversial end several months prior to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Stajcic ultimately received an apology from the FA and a reported six-figure settlement according to the Sydney Morning Herald for the dismissal.
Stajcic was subsequently appointed head coach of Central Coast Mariners and took the team from the wooden spoon to a third place A-League Men’s finish last season. He stepped down from the position after the Mariner’s 2020-21 campaign.
After his departure from the A-League club, Stajcic spoke to FTBL’s Dave Lewis earlier this year about his next possible move:
“I’m really open to looking at anything. My family and I are ready to go wherever the best opportunity takes us, whether that’s at home or overseas.
“I haven’t limited myself to anything (be it the men’s or women’s game).
“I’ve been spending time at home with the kids during the lockdown in Sydney.
“After working 25 years straight as a full time coach it’s been nice to sit back and reflect over the past few months, and have a bit of time off.”
It appears that Stajcic’s time off is over. As the PWNT’s new head coach he will start preparing the team for their upcoming 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup appearance. The Filipinas qualified for the tournament last month after wins against Nepal and Hong Kong.
It will be the PWNT’s ninth appearance in the tournament. They most recently played in the 2018 Cup, their first time making the tournament since a qualification phase was introduced. They finished in 6th place during the 2018 Women’s Asian Cup, their only time exiting the Group Stage.
The PWNT have yet to qualify for an Olympic Games or a Women’s World Cup. They are currently ranked 68th in the world, three places below their highest ranking of 65 in December 2020.
Philippines Football Federation’s president Mariano Araneta Jr. stated upon the hiring of Stajcic that the coach’s previous experience was part of the PFF’s reasoning for the appointment, as the federation aims to get their women’s team to a major tournament:
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