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WHO IS ANTE MILICIC? Ante Milicic, 44, was appointed on Monday as interim Matildas head coach and will lead Australia to the World Cup. He has no experience coaching in women's football but has worked as a key Socceroos and underage national team lieutenant for several years, and more recently as coach of the Olyroos and Young Socceroos. He was Ange Postecoglou's trusted assistant at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Asian Cup triumph. He helped to qualify the Socceroos for the 2018 World Cup and maintained the job in Russia under Bert van Marwijk. While exceptionally well-rated across the men's landscape and FFA chiefs, he has a terrible record in overseeing Australia at underage tournaments. He was twice an assistant at under-20 World Cups and led the under-23 team at the Asian Championship last year. Each time Australia failed to make it out of their group. As head coach at last year's under-19 Asian Championship, the team fell short of under-20 World Cup qualification by losing to Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals. He has A-League coaching experience as an assistant at Melbourne Heart and Western Sydney. As a player, Milicic represented the national team six times, scoring five goals, playing his club football in Europe, Asia and Australia. He was the 2003/04 National Soccer League player of the year and golden boot winner.
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