Ange Postecoglou slams Australia’s failure to invest into football… as the Spurs boss reveals he left the Socceroos after becoming ‘frustrated’ by a lack of desire for change

• Australia will face England in a friendly match at Wembley on Friday night 
• Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is fearful over football’s progress in Australia
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Ange Postecoglou fears Australia will never become a force in world football.

The Tottenham boss walked out on the Socceroos after qualifying for the 2018 World Cup having decided there was neither the desire nor financial commitment to change attitudes to the sport and enable it to thrive alongside rugby league, rugby union and Aussie Rules football.

He views his personal success since in Japan, Scotland and now England as proof that he was right to get out.

‘There’s a couple of things,’ said Postecoglou, ahead of England’s friendly against Australia at Wembley on Friday. ‘One is the sporting landscape, where there’s some strong codes there that have generationally dominated.

‘There’s Aussie Rules, the indigenous sport of Australia. It’s unique to them and they take great pride in protecting it as their code. The rugby codes dominate. It’s hard for football to make an impact in that space. The flipside is how global football is. If you want to make inroads, you’re battling those odds. It’s insurmountable. You can’t make the necessary steps.

Ange Postecoglou stepped down as Australia boss before the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Australia made the last-16 of the 2022 World Cup but Postecoglou fears for their progress 

The dominance of rugby codes and Aussie rules have hindered football’s growth in the nation

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‘If I can compare that to Japan who also have the tyranny of distance and baseball’s pretty strong, they plant a lot of resources into football and that’s making an impact. I don’t see Australia down that road.’

Postecoglou’s views are rooted in his four years as Australia boss from 2013 and seven years in charge of their youth teams. ‘I don’t,’ said the 58-year-old when asked if he thinks his instant impact at Spurs might help. ‘Maybe that’s just me, I gave up that fight.

‘It’s a much easier space for me to live in because I was so frustrated for so long. One of my major drivers was to change football in Australia. I left because I felt I hadn’t made an impact at all. That’s easier for me to deal with than to think, “Maybe I still can now with what I’m doing”. 

‘I’d prefer to think it’s not going to happen. Look at what the Matildas did at the World Cup, unbelievable, but you still won’t see an influx of resources to the game. I guarantee it. They’ll build stadiums and other codes will use them.’

Postecoglou was in charge when the Aussies made their last visit to England, a 2-1 defeat in Sunderland in May 2016. They were on their way to qualification for the World Cup but the manager quit before the finals in Russia to take over at Yokohama F Marinos in Japan. He is in no way tempted by the prospect of managing Australia again in the future.

‘I walked away from a World Cup,’ said Postecoglou. ‘We qualified and I walked away.

‘The reason I walked away was I just didn’t enjoy what I was doing. It’s not just doing the job and winning games of football. My higher purpose in Australia was to change the game. I just don’t think that will happen.

‘It wasn’t an easy decision, but I knew it was the right decision for where I saw the next stage of my career and if I had waited until after the World Cup, I’ve no doubt I wouldn’t be Spurs manager now.’

Postecoglou fears Australia will fail to invest after their success at the Women’s World Cup

The Spurs boss believes his strong start in the Premier League is unlikely to make an impact

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