Bobby Despotovski: “COVID-19 was the best thing for Australian football going into the future”

Bobby Despotovski has what some may call the perfect balance of considered objectivity and passion for football in Australia. Having announced his decision to leave his role as head coach of Perth Glory’s W-League squad late last year, the 2005/06 Johnny Warren Medal winner has had a break from the pressures of the top job for a few months now.

A West Australian through and through, Despotovski is Perth Glory’s all-time leading goal scorer and second on their all-time appearances list. As coach of the club, he led Perth to two Grand Finals and was the recipient of the W-League Coach of the Year in season 2016/17.

Despotovski sat down with Soccerscene to discuss his love for West Australian football, his fondest memories from his time in the W-League, playing a hand in the development of Sam Kerr, Australian football’s future and the significance of the 2023 Women’s World Cup for Australia as a whole.

What was the reason for you calling an end to your time as a W-League coach for Perth Glory?

Bobby Despotovski: COVID-19. I would not be able to take weeks off to go into a hub as that would jeopardise my work. When COVID wasn’t present it was fine, but as soon as COVID-19 hit that was it. That was the reason I quit.

Through all of the challenges of COVID-19 there was a bright moment as it was revealed Australia would be hosting a World Cup with New Zealand. Being that you’re such a vocal champion of football down under, particularly in Western Australia, what was your reaction to seeing that Australia was set to host a Women’s World Cup?

Bobby Despotovski: Obviously I was happy for Australia

A tournament of that stage coming to Australia is great because it’s going to put football in the mainstream of the Australian public and they’re going to see how big football all over the world is.

To be quite honest, it is going to open eyes in the media and in the wider public in terms of getting them to appreciate the wider game of football and how big it is worldwide.

World Cup bid win

That’s a great point, it could be a really significant moment in terms of bringing football into the mainstream.

Bobby Despotovski: 100%. It happened in Japan and it happened in America. Specifically, America [is a good comparison], because the American and Australian [football] market is similar in terms of our football not being the mainstream game. And then all of a sudden as soon as they had their Men’s and Women’s World Cups it becomes a mainstream sport.

So that needs to happen here in Australia as well, so that people can appreciate the game and have their eyes open to something else.

Being that you were the Perth Glory W-League coach for five years, what do you believe have been the greatest improvements in the W-League from your start to now?

Bobby Despotovski: [When I came in] we put into place a five-year plan.

Because as soon as Europe started becoming stronger, I sort of knew that all of the best [W-League] players from the Australian market are not going to go anymore to America, they are going to go to Europe. It is very hard because the European leagues go for a lot longer than the American league.

So, I knew that we were going to lose all of the best players and that’s why we started a five-year plan. About four years ago we, the Glory, started up that all the local good footballers had a career path to go through. We were right in the thick of it and we had a good squad of young players coming through, in fact we had seven young players that had actually represented Australia in the younger levels.

So, we were in a good space to be knowing that none of the clubs will attract international players because Europe is the market now.

That’s great, you & the club actually set out to evolve the club and to give Western Australia a platform to have these players come up. It’s important that you put in place a strategic direction. But, have you seen that with the W-League as a whole?

Bobby Despotovski: Not really because [for example] we’ve seen Melbourne City struggle big time this year because they invested heavily in overseas players and the best Matildas players. And realistically, what happened in the A-League happened in the W-League.

What is going to happen to the Matildas has already happened to the Socceroos, unless we make changes.

Australian football, in general, is very good at watching what they develop without having a second plan to develop more players that need to come after. And that was evident in the Socceroos with the Golden Generation disappearing, or retiring, and there was nothing after.

I think that Australian football is the only nation in the world where you can be twenty-two years of age and have represented the Olyroos, but you haven’t played three games in the A-League. Which is unheard of in football terms across Europe, South America and wherever else.

Bobby Despotovski thinking

Where do you think Australian football as an industry is at in the present?

Bobby Despotovski: It’s in the crossroads to be honest. The A-League has obviously suffered because of COVID, which is evident. And obviously COVID is not a good thing to have happened to the world, but COVID-19 was the best thing for Australian football going into the future.

And why I’m thinking that is because we’re not going to be spending any more money on the 38- and 40-year-olds coming to Europe for their retirement funds here, we’re now going to invest in our kids here to start playing. Maybe in the short-term the league might suffer until these kids grow up to become footballers, but you’ll have a sustained program going forward for the long years ahead.

You can see with Australian football at the moment there’s a direction being taken towards alignment. Do you endorse this as the next step for Australian football?

Bobby Despotovski: Absolutely. We need a second division but who’s going to fund that?

People have to understand that you have a lot of regulations in the A-League. There is a collective bargaining agreement, which is a $72,000 minimum wage for the footballers and once you go into the second division, is that classified as a full-time professional? So, if you have a minimum squad of 23 its over $1.6 million. You tell me who has $1.6 million to pay their players in the second division? Or for that matter here in Perth.

We’re talking about our second division without our first division, the A-League, being sound. We [currently] don’t have a television deal [past July] and we’re talking about the second division being broadcast.

If you start the second division [in the next few years] it’s going to impact the A-League crowd wise. At the end of the day, you have to think about the longevity of the league. There’s no point in introducing a second league, because say South Melbourne, Sydney Croatia or Marconi Stallions want to go in there. We need to think about how its going to impact football around Australia.

Bobby Playing

Comparing the NSL era to now, are there major differences in terms of the standards at clubs?

Bobby Despotovski: The clubs are full-time, all of them are full-time, but playing wise it is not much different. When you look at it, the players that you used to have here now are your imports from overseas. Now you have a player like Diamanti whereas before we had Paul Trimboli. So, at the end of the day, you’re now paying for the quality and that in itself shows you where Australian football went.

What are some things you look back on fondly in your career as a player?

Bobby Despotovski: The whole lot. Especially when the clubs started and we were unknown and we would just have a good time. We could go and play football, have a couple of beers and go out and then jump on the flight back home. That’s what I look back on

I don’t remember many games and things like that, because that’s hazed. But you meet wonderful people along the journey and the friendships stay. And that’s the most important thing that you get out of the game.

What do you see as your greatest achievements in your time coaching at Perth Glory?

Bobby Despotovski: Putting the steps in for the club’s longevity and creating a right path for the girls. I could talk about a grand final or Sam Kerr, but even with that we only played a small part in Sam Kerr’s development.

Probably about 5-6 years ago there were a couple of interviews that I gave when I was calling that if she started scoring a few more goals that she was going to be one of the best players in the world and everybody laughed at me. That was our target to teach Sam Kerr to start scoring a lot more goals and we changed her position from winger to striker.

Now people are taking the credit for her development which is fine, I don’t care about that. I’m just happy [to] see Sam Kerr doing what Sam Kerr does, because she’s a wonderful human being.

Glory Celebrating

What have been your own most significant learnings about Australian football in your many years of contribution to the sport here?

Bobby Despotovski: I quickly learned what Australian football is and what the character of an Australian footballer is. They were very fit, could run, tackle, hassle and could do all of that, but they were not technically sort of gifted. So, the technical abilities of the players were neglected and the physical attributes were prioritised. Which is fine, I don’t dispute that but somewhere along the line we lost that hardness.

This is where the 4-3-3 system came into play and the technical people from Holland came and disregarded everything that categorised an Australian footballer. They took that all away and focused on developing skills.

So, what I’ve been saying for the last ten years is that nothing categorises an Australian footballer now. An Australian footballer is in between being hard and being half-fit with a new skill level. That’s why we see a lot of Australian footballers coming back from Europe because they are not gifted technically and the physical attributes have been taken away from them.

Is it then a case of the development of Australia’s footballers being a microcosm for the sport’s wider struggle to find its identity?

Bobby Despotovski: Put it this way, from the old NSL, a majority of the players who went overseas played in the Premier League and they didn’t come back.

The players who go there and come back claim to be homesick, how untrue. They are not good enough. Let’s admit that we are not good enough and then start working on that. The first step to solving a problem is admitting there is a problem. Let’s admit what we are not good at and then start fixing it, but don’t take away what we are good at.

We lost two generations of kids and that’s why the youth national teams are struggling. 20 and 21-year-olds are not playing competitive games.

Owners of clubs want instant results as well, and so there is not an emphasis on developing footballers for Australian football because it’s a private entity. And I am not blaming owners of the clubs as they have to put in the money and their hands in their own pockets, but there has to be an emphasis on developing young players and young players getting opportunities.

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FIFA set new global benchmark for Women’s Football Development

In a landmark initiative for women’s football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.

The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport’s global evolution.

FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).

The recently enhanced FIFA Women’s Development Programme underscores the organisation’s strengthened commitment to expanding the women’s game.

The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women’s football.

The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.

International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.

The pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women’s EURO and OFC Women’s Nations Cup will crown new champions.

In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.

This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host nations.

New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.

A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.

“The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women’s World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth,” he explained via official FIFA press release.

Across the Tasman, Football Australia’s Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.

The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.

This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.

The grants provide essential support for women’s football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport’s foundation at the community level.

Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent’s first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.

A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.

The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.

JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme’s strategic importance and inclusivity.

“This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success,” Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.

This initiative aligns with JFA’s renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.

This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.

It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.

Read more on the FIFA Women’s Development Program here.

Tom Sermanni- Leading the Matildas in the Right Direction

In September 2024, former Matilda’s and journeyman coach, Tom Sermanni, was quietly going about his business coaching in the women’s program at Western Sydney Wanderers.

The last thing he expected was to receive an offer from the F.A. to become the interim manager for the Matildas.

However, Sermanni reflected on his previous stints with the Matildas from 1994-97 and 2005-12 with a great sense of pride and didn’t hesitate to accept the offer.

After five months in the job, Sermanni and assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny have methodically restored confidence in the squad after the disappointment of not qualifying for the quarter finals at the Paris Olympics.

It was certainly a far cry from Sermanni’s previous stints in 1994-97 when players weren’t paid and had to cover their own expenses and 2005-12 when contracts were introduced for the players.

Notably, Sermanni is aware of the strong brand the Matildas carry in Australian sport and every time they venture onto the pitch, there is a weight of expectation for them to perform.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, Tom Sermanni discusses his progress with the Matildas since September 2024 and the general state of the women’s game in Australia.

ROGER SLEEMAN

What was your mindset when you were offered the job after your last stint with the Matildas in 2005-12?

TOM SERMANNI

Surprise was my first reaction as it came completely out of the blue

I’d actually reached the stage where I wasn’t searching for a career but winding down.

However, it was a compliment to be still considered for coaching at this level.

R.S.

How long did it take you to accept the offer?

T.S.

Only a few minutes because it was a no brainer after I contemplated what was involved.

Photo: Kyoko Kurihara – Football Australia

R.S.

Based on the Matilda’s performance at the Paris Olympics, what areas were you going to concentrate on?

T.S.

I was actually at the U.S.A. and Zambia games which was useful and I also knew a number of players in the squad.

Initially, I wanted to maintain stability because when a tournament doesn’t yield results, there are inquisitions and uncertainty.

Therefore, the lack of confidence had to be restored.

R.S.

What has been your main focus since you commenced the position?

T.S.

When we first assembled for the first match in Switzerland, I outlined the expectations for the team and myself.

I wanted to get back to the way Australian teams play on the front foot and to reassure the players there was a lot of ability in the squad , despite the disappointment of the Olympic’s result.

We needed to establish goals for the players to achieve and winning was critical.

Rebuilding belief, confidence and spirit was essential to achieving this outcome.

R.S.

What were your conclusions after the Switzerland and German clashes in October?

T.S.

There were signs of missing confidence and cohesion in the Swiss clash but against Germany it was a great 2-1 victory and defied our 15th ranking in the world standings.

R.S.

Against Brazil, how did you rate the team’s performance?

T.S.

Both games were probably the most brutally physical I’d ever witnessed in the women’s game.

Also ,the Brazilians were very direct and unfortunately in the first game in Sydney, the referee didn’t control the game well enough.

In the second game on the Gold Coast this was rectified somewhat .

Critically, the games were a great benchmark to assess our status with the top five teams in the world.

R.S.

Are we technically adept to match the top teams?

T.S.

If you look at Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Mary Fowler and Kyra- Cooney Cross, we have players who rate technically with the best.

Also, we have players spread across the best Leagues in the world.

Nevertheless, at the development level we need to advance players at a technical level, rather than implementing systems which restrict individual development.

Photo: Kyoko Kurihara – Football Australia

R.S.

Are the senior players performing to their best?

T.S.

I believe in the matches so far they have and are still our most consistent performers.

Don’t forget, despite the Paris Olympics failure, we did qualify for the semi finals of the previous Olympics and the 2023 World Cup.

R.S.

Is it time to blood young players in the squad, and what is your general opinion of the talent scouting process employed to unearth new players?

T.S.

If I’d come in as a new coach for the next campaign, rather than an interim coach, things may have been different.

I emphasise again my role is to instigate stability in an effective way and my successor in a permanent role will decide where the squad will go forward from there.

For me , the role is to plan for the present and the future so it’s a balancing act.

In the modern game it’s difficult because you don’t get enough time with the players who are mainly based overseas.

This is in contrast with my last stint with the Matildas when most of the players were home based so we had complete access to them for local camps .

Importantly, this allowed us to develop players within the team structure.

It’s getting harder to bring in new players because of the time limits you have to work with them.

Obviously, you’re continuing to strengthen your squad by bringing new players in but moving forward the new coach has to reassess the current squad and also be mindful of other players to be given an opportunity to see if they are better than the current players.

Naturally, there will be a turnover of the squad due to ageing of senior players so we have to provide a better way of bringing younger players through.

With the huge increase in playing numbers in women’s football , there should be a lot of new talent coming through the system to be considered for Matilda selection.

Unfortunately ,there hasn’t been an organised plan since the Institutes fell by the wayside and resources aren’t being committed to a cohesive system.

R.S.

How important is Mary Fowler to the squad?

T.S

She is critical because she has that X-factor and those qualities to become a superstar.

Some of the senior players are now at their peak in their late twenties and Mary in her early twenties has the world at her feet to become a world class player.

Along with Ellie Carpenter whose workrate and football awareness are phenomenal, it should be our aim to continue unearthing such talent in the W- League.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the W-League?

T.S.

Unfortunately, it’s not fully professional and it needs more resources to make it the best league it can be because at the moment it’s a development league for domestic players.

However, we need as many young players to be competing in the League and over time it would be ideal for overseas players to come back to the League to contribute to its progress.

However, the League is certainly a great place for supplying national youth team players.

Photo: Kyoko Kurihara – Football Australia

R.S.

Can you tell us more about the She Believes Cup, the Matildas are competing in the U.S. from February 19-27 against U.S.A., Japan and Colombia?

T.S.

It’s a proper, competitive tournament, not a series of friendlies so there is a great incentive to win.

We play the first game and then travel to two other cities to play so there’s limited time for preparation.

Clearly, it’s an important tournament to play serious opposition with different styles on show and for players to maintain their place or for new players to emerge.

R.S.

After your interim role ends, would you like to be still involved with the Matildas in some way?

T.S.

If there was a role for me which was suitable I certainly would take it because I’m really enjoying the current position.

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