Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has announced he will quit the job after this year's World Cup finals in South Africa.
Verbeek said he would not continue on with Australia beyond the World Cup campaign, saying he would "look for a new challenge".
"It has been a very difficult decision for me after more than two years but it is time for me to look for a new challenge," Verbeek said.
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"I have enjoyed every minute of being head coach of Australia and we achieved some fantastic results including qualifying for the World Cup and the Asian Cup.
"It is a good time to make this announcement so we can now focus completely on preparing everything perfectly for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa."
Verbeek has guided Australia to both the World Cup and Asian Cup finals during his tenure.
Verbeek 'consummate professional'
In his 27 matches in charge, the Socceroos have won 15, drawn eight and lost four.
Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy said Verbeek had done an outstanding job in charge of the Socceroos.
"Pim has been a great coach for the Socceroos and has earned the respect of everybody in football in this country and around the world," Lowy said.
"He has been the consummate professional in every aspect of his role and has led our national team with distinction here and overseas.
"Under his leadership the team has achieved everything we aimed to achieve and I expect he will have the team ready to perform at its best in South Africa."
It remains unclear whether Australia will appoint a fulltime successor to Verbeek in time for next January's Asian Cup finals.
The other option is to appoint a caretaker for that tournament, then look to appoint a new fulltime coach ahead of the 2014 World Cup campaign.
