In brief
- Tony Popovic took over as the Socceroos' head coach in October 2024.
- He is known for a defensive set-up that absorbs pressure and launches fierce counterattacks.
"Driven, focused, single-minded, great attention to detail."
That's how Socceroos' head coach Tony Popovic is described by Perth Glory media manager Gareth Morgan, who worked with Popovic during his time as manager of the A-League club from 2018 to 2020.
These qualities took him to the World Cup as a player, and now 20 years later as a coach, making him the first Australian to play and coach the national team to football's pinnacle.
Now in his second year in charge of the Australian men's national team, Popovic, 52, has become known for a highly disciplined defensive structure that absorbs pressure and launches fierce counterattacks.
That trademark style was on display in the Socceroos' 2-0 victory over Türkiye in their opening World Cup match on Sunday.
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While World Cup training camps are kept under wraps to protect tactics, Morgan offered a glimpse into the demanding routine the Socceroos are likely following as they take to football's biggest stage.
"I've never seen a defence worked so hard on the training ground," Morgan told SBS Croatia of Popovic's managerial style at Perth Glory.
"We played a back five at the time, and they were just drilled relentlessly day in, day out.
"It was almost like autopilot in terms of knowing where the other players were."
Morgan said Popovic was the most "detail-driven" coach he had worked with, revealing he closely monitored players' diets and fitness programs.
"I'm pretty sure he banned tomato ketchup because of the sugar content," he said.
"He's massive, absolutely massive on nutrition, recovery, doing all the right things.
"He sort of took that to a new level, really, at our club when he was here."
Morgan said players always knew where they stood with Popovic.
"There were non-negotiables in terms of training and punctuality and a lot of other things like that. Certainly, he ran a tight ship, I think it's fair to say," he said.
"He has a presence about him, and I think the physicality helps that, there's an intensity about him as well."
That uncompromising approach also extends to team selection.
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While favouring a conservative set-up, Popovic has also shown he is willing to take bold selection calls.
On Sunday, he made arguably the biggest gamble of his managerial career, benching veteran goalkeeper and captain Mat Ryan in favour of Patrick Beach, who was making just his third international appearance.
Vice-captain Jackson Irvine was also left out, with Popovic selecting a youthful line-up that included 21-year-old Paul Okon-Engstler and 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda.
The gamble paid off. Beach made eight saves, including a full-stretch dive to tip a powerful strike onto the post, while Irankunda opened the scoring after a perfectly overhead pass from Okon-Engstler.
Who is Tony Popovic?
Popovic started his playing career at Sydney United in 1989, making 162 appearances over seven seasons, before moving to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan's top division.
The centre-back moved to English side Crystal Palace, also playing a season in Qatar before returning to Australia to play for Sydney FC, where he retired in 2008.
He also played 58 games for Australia and appeared at the 2006 World Cup, making him the first Australian to represent the Socceroos as both a player and head coach.
After coaching Western Sydney Wanderers to the A-League premiership and AFC Champions League title, Popovic had spells in Türkiye, Perth, Greece and Melbourne before replacing Graham Arnold as Socceroos coach in 2024.
Arnold took the Socceroos to the Round of 16 in Qatar in 2022 but oversaw a disastrous start to the third round of their qualifying campaign, which included a shock loss to Bahrain and a 0-0 draw against then-129th-ranked Indonesia.
Popovic's appointment was met with mixed reactions from fans, but he oversaw an unbeaten run through qualifying — including seven consecutive wins — steering the Socceroos to automatic qualification for the first time since 2014.
His contract extension — announced before Sunday's win over Türkiye — was somewhat of a surprise, given a weak World Cup campaign would put Popovic firmly in the coaching shop window.
But after a dream start to the tournament, Popovic is clearly enjoying the moment.
"I'm loving every part of the journey, and every day is a new day, and there's new challenges and it's all exciting," Popovic recently told Australian Associated Press in camp.
"I do pinch myself sometimes. I'm blessed with the greatest job that you can have.
"It's a group of young men that really have a strong ambition and the staff that wants to help be the best we can be. So I think I'm very fortunate."
— In collaboration with SBS Croatia and with additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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