Barcelona boss Sánchez throws hat in the ring for Matildas job

As the inferno ignited by the sacking of Matildas coach Alen Stajcic continues to rage, Barcelona women’s coach Fran Sanchez has put his hand up for the still-flaming hot seat.

The Pep Guardiola lookalike, 41, has guided FC Barcelona Femeni to successive Copa de la Reina crowns since taking charge in 2017, as well as a second-place finish in the Primera Division.

Having spent two seasons as the technical director of Bahrain’s men’s team, he now has his sights set on leading the Matidas to June’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France as his next big career project.

Though FFA chairman Chris Nikou has announced his preference for a home-grown coach to fill the chasm left by Stajcic’s incendiary dismissal, a candidate of the calibre of Sanchez may attract the interest of the panel put in place to source a successor.

Sanchez is steeped in Barcelona’s free-flowing football traditions having cut his coaching teeth at the club through the youth ranks - across multiple age groups - from 1998 to 2012.

He became assistant to the Blaugranes in 2014, before landing the top job three years later. He also had a brief stint as assistant coach at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

While under siege over the PR disaster of Stajcic’s exit - the coach paying the price, according to FFA, for presiding over a toxic team culture - the ruling body is soldiering on in pursuit of a replacement, with Sanchez joining an expanding list of potential successors.

Head of national performance Luke Casserly is leading the pursuit against a backdrop of recrimination and accusation over whether Stajcic was afforded due process before being being summarily terminated for unspecified transgressions, following separate reviews into the culture of the Matildas’ set-up.

Among the Australians in the frame is Arsenal Women's head coach Joe Montemurro, as well as W-League duo Heather Garriock (Canberra United) and Mel Andreatta (Brisbane Roar).

The overseas contenders include Germany’s former World Cup winning coach Silvia Neid, United States under-20s chief Jitka Klimková, Japan’s 2011 World Cup mentor Norio Sasaki, and the vaunted pair of Vera Pauw, who has managed four nations, and England’s Laura Harvey.

Ex-France and China coach Bruno Bini may also be on the radar.

FFA plan to make an appointment by early February, ahead of the Four Nations tournament being hosted by Australia and involving Korea Republic, New Zealand and Argentina.