Alen Stajcic

Alen Stajcic
Stajcic coaching the Matildas at the 2017 Algarve Cup
Personal information
Full name Alen Stajcic
Date of birth (1973-11-02) 2 November 1973
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Australia (Manager)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994 Mount Druitt Town 6 (0)
1994–1997 Bonnyrigg White Eagles 35 (2)
1998 Bankstown City Lions 13 (2)
2000 Western Sydney Passion ? (?)
2000–2002 Sutherland Sharks 38 (2)
Teams managed
2002–2004 NSW Sapphires
2008–2014 Sydney FC W-League
2014– Australia (Matildas)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 August 2007

Alen Stajcic (born 2 November 1973) is the head coach of the Australia women's national soccer team and former soccer player. While a footballer he was a NSW Premier League player and Australian Youth Representative.

Since turning his hand to coaching he had become the head coach of NSWIS for Women's Soccer, Head Coach of The Hills Sports High School Football Program, Head Coach of the Australian Under 20 Women's National Team.[1] He was appointed coach for Sydney FC in the first season of the Australian W-League.[2] And since 2014, the head coach of the Australian Women's National Team, The Matildas.

Biography

Playing career

A former NSW Premier League player and Captain with Bonnyrigg, Bankstown and Sutherland, Alen represented NSW at the youth level and played for several clubs within the National Youth League and Winter Super League.

Representative Honours: N/A

Coaching

Alen Stajcic had been the head coach of the NSWIS Women's Soccer Program from 2002–2013. Widely considered as the one of the best football nurseries in Australia, the program produced over 30 senior Internationals in that 10-year period. He was also the head coach of the Women's National Soccer League side, the NSW Sapphires, which he guided to a premiership in the 2003/04 season. He started as head coach of HSHS in the foundation year (2003) and has gone on to win many titles and good performances. In 2006, he was the assistant coach for the Young Matilda's while they were competing at the FIFA U/20's Women's Championships in Russia. Unfortunately they bowed out in the group stage, missing the next round by 1 point to Brazil and Russia. As of 05/03/07 Stajcic became the Young Matildas Coach. In 2008, Stajcic became the inaugural Sydney FC Women's head coach, until 2014. They qualified for the semi finals in all 6 seasons, winning 2 grand finals and 2 premierships along the way. In 2013, Sydney FC beat Japanese powerhouse NTV Beleza and Sth American Champions Colo Colo to claim 3rd place the IWCC in Japan. As of September 2014, Stajcic was appointed full-time head coach of the Australian Women's National Football team, the Matildas. In the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada, they became the 1st Senior Australian Football Team to win a knockout match in a World Cup when they defeated Brazil 1–0 in the Round of 16 before losing 1–0 to Japan in the quarter finals. Earlier in 2014, Stajcic had led the Matildas in an Interim capacity, to a Silver Medal at the Asian Championships.

Currently, Stajcic stands as the only Australian-born head coach to win a match at a FIFA World Cup.

In March 2016, the Matildas qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time in 12 years. Along the way eliminating World Cup finalists Japan. The Matildas topped the Asian Qualifying group and were undefeated in the tournament.

The Matildas subsequently attained their highest-ever FIFA Ranking of 5.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics Australia were grouped with Canada, Germany and Zimbabwe. Australia progressed through to the Quarter Finals, where they were beaten 7–6 on penalties by Hosts Brazil after a 0–0 draw.

Honours

As a player

  • Australian Schoolboy International (1992)

As a coach

Matildas
  • Finalists Asian Cup (2014,2018)
  • Quarter Finalist World Cup (2015)
  • Quarter Finalist Olympics (2016)
  • Record high FIFA World Ranking of 4 (2017)
Sydney FC Women's Team
  • Semi Finalists (2008,2011/12,2013/14)
  • Premiers (2009,2010/11)
  • Champions (2009,2012/13)
  • Finalists (2010/11)
  • 3rd Place International Women's Club Championship (2013)
Young Matilda's (As Assistant Coach)
  • Qualified for World U/20's Women Championships (2006)
    • Knocked out in Group Stage

NSW Sapphires

  • Winner of Nation Women's Soccer League (2003/04)
  • Finalists of Nation Women's Soccer League (2002/03)

References

  1. ↑ Football Australia Profile
  2. ↑ Young Matildas Coach for Sydney – FourFourTwo
  3. ↑ "Matildas and Kerr Australia's fan favourites at AIS awards". Australian Sports Commission website. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
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