After an extended wait, the Australian women’s national team has finally appointed the next head coach. The name in question arrives in the form of Joe Montemurro, following his recent departure from French giants OL Lyonnes (
formerly Olympique Lyon).
The Halfway Line tells you everything that you need to know about the new Matildas boss.
Who is Joe Montemurro?
Joe Montemurro is an Australia-born UEFA Pro licensed and Football Australia / AFC A Licensed coach. Melbourne born and bred, Montemurro commenced his professional managerial career at Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City FC, in the W-League (now A-League).
Once a player, Montemurro plied his trade in the midfield amongst the Italian football ranks, before returning to his home state of Victoria to play in state leagues there. The 55-year-old’s first coaching job arrived at Sunshine George Cross, in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne.
Montemurro’s first venture abroad arrived in 2014, when he ventured to Papua New Guinea to manage Port Moresby in their inaugural season. It was after that short tenure when Montemurro dove into the world of women’s football.
Football Australia Interim CEO, Heather Garriock, spoke on the appointment, praising: “Joe brings world-class experience, a deep understanding of the Australian football landscape, and a genuine connection to our national identity.”
“Importantly, he has spent the last decade coaching at the very highest levels of the women’s game in Europe and brings with him an unparalleled understanding of what is required to compete and succeed at the top of modern football,” Garriock continued.
“Joe has shown an ability to build high-performing teams that play with tactical clarity and attacking intent, and we believe his vision and values are the perfect fit to lead the next era of the CommBank Matildas with professionalism, vision, and distinction.
“We undertook a considered and rigorous process to ensure we would secure the strongest candidate to lead one of the most beloved national teams. It was about getting the right coach, not the first coach.”
Where has Joe Montemurro coached before?
Arsenal Women
Montemurro returns to home soil after a decade in Europe, having coached continental giants Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon.
After three years in the W-League coaching both sides of Melbourne, Montemurro was London-bound to take up the head coach role at women’s football giant Arsenal. Taking the reins from former Gunners boss Pedro Martínez Losa after a weak start to the campaign, Montemurro led the north London side to silverware, claiming the Women’s League Cup in a 1-0 victory over Manchester City. The side also made a trip to Wembley Stadium, but lost the FA Cup final to Chelsea.
In his second season in charge, Montemurro led the Gunners to Women’s Super League glory, winning the title in the 2018/19 campaign. During this season, Arsenal became the first team of the modern WSL era to win 9 games in a row, scoring 45 goals and conceding just 5. The team rounded of the reason with an impressive 70 goal tally, with just 13 goals against.
Not only did Montemurro make his mark domestically, but the Aussie’s impressive season qualified Arsenal for the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time in five years.
After a turbulent end to what started as a successful tenure, Montemurro departed the club in 2021.
Juventus Women
Following his time in England, Montemurro travelled to Italy after his official appointment as head coach of Juventus. Much like his fast start at Arsenal, Montemurro brought immediate success to Juventus, securing the club’s first domestic treble in the 2021/22 campaign.
This saw the side defeat AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana, and claim both the Serie A league title and the Coppa Italia.
Juventus made waves on the European stage too, having faced a tough group of opponents including Chelsea, VfL Wolfburg and Servette. Le Bianconere clinched a 2-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg and a 0-0 draw against Chelsea, claiming second place in the group standings. These strong results meant that Montemurro’s side knocked out his former London foes in Chelsea.
Juventus went on to defeat Lyon in the first leg of the quarter-finals, but suffered an aggregate defeat at the Groupama Stadium in the reverse tie.
Montemurro’s league success at Juventus faltered soon after, but the side still claimed silverware in the Supercoppa and Coppa Italia until his eventual departure in 2024.
Olympique Lyonnais (OL Lyoness)
The Australian was ready to face his biggest challenge yet following the announcement of his appointment as head coach of French giants Olympique Lyonnais. The eight-time Champions League winners had a thirst for revenge ahead of the 2024/25 season, having lost the previous season’s final to Barcelona in Bilbao.
A slightly underwhelming season at the helm of Lyon followed, despite the side’s ability to win their 18th Première Ligue title.
The European stage was where it went wrong, as Lyon fumbled a 2-1 lead heading into the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. Having beaten Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in the first leg, the second leg crumble was something that very few expected as the Gunners ran rampant, securing a 4-1 [5-3 aggregate] victory in France and going on to defeat Barcelona in the competition’s final thanks to a 74th minute winner from Stina Blackstenius.
Questions came from Montemurro’s misjudgement when selecting his starting eleven, playing the game away from Arsenal’s weaknesses and into their strengths. The loss saw his former student Renée Slegers go on to claim Arsenal’s second Champions League title- still remaining to be the only English side to ever win the esteemed competition.
Lyon announced Montemurro’s departure on June 1st, just 24 hours before Football Australia appointed him as the new head coach in what arrived as the worst-kept secret in women’s football.
Looking ahead to the Asia Cup
Montemurro will now have just nine months to prepare for a home AFC Women’s Asia Cup where Australia will host the tournament next March. Since winning the tournament in 2010, the Matildas have ran up second twice, before notably crashing out of the quarter final stages in 2022.
The Australian manager will need to explore the depths of his squad after the elongated absence of Sam Kerr, a recent ACL injury to Manchester City firecracker Mary Fowler, and another injury hit to midfield maestro Katrina Gorry.
One of the biggest criticsm’s that fans had of former head coach Tony Gustavsson was his refusal to select talent from the country’s own national league. Interim head coach Tom Sermanni has done a great job at rectifying those short-sightings, something fans are hoping to see continue under the fresh guidance of Montemurro.
The 55-year-old prefers a possession-based football approach, something that seems to be a mismatch for Australia’s playing profile. However, with a rising rank of youth talent, fans will be interested to see what Montemurro can do with the players at his disposal.
The new head coach described the appointment as “the honour of a lifetime.”
“This team means so much to so many Australians, and I’m humbled by the opportunity to help shape its next chapter. I’ve followed their incredible journey closely and am energised by the passion, resilience, and identity they’ve built,” Montemurro said.
“There’s a generation of talent coming through and major tournaments on the horizon. My job is to honour the legacy, harness the momentum, and help this team play football that inspires and unites the country.”
