Vidmar quits Adelaide for Socceroo role

Aurelio Vidmar wants Australian soccer’s head coaching job after quitting his Adelaide United position for a national role. Vidmar on Thursday was appointed a Socceroos assistant coach and head coach of Australia’s under 23 Olyroos, ending his three-year tenure at Adelaide.

The 43-year-old is ideally positioned to fulfil a desire of Football Federation Australia (FFA) for home grown coaches to be in charge of national teams.

“Their (the FFA’s) succession plan is to one day have an Australian coaching the national team,” Vidmar told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday.

“I think that is what everyone would like one day.

“The foreigners that have come in, Pim (Verbeek) and Guus (Hiddink) have done a tremendous job, but talking to the FFA, in 10 years’ time they don’t want to be in the same situation they are in today.

“So that is an opportunity for me, also I think it’s an opportunity for many other Australian coaches.

“I think you will see, probably in the next half a dozen years, a big shift.”

Vidmar said he would be “mad” not to want the head coaching role of the Socceroos.

“I try to go as far as I possibly can, give it a good shake and see where it takes me,” he said.

“I’d be mad to say that I wouldn’t want that job.

“But I still have a hell of a lot to learn at international level.

“So I think with the encouragement and also with the guidance from the FFA, and the experience I will get with the new senior coach – who knows.”

Vidmar will depart for the World Cup in South Africa next Tuesday to perform, as yet unspecified activities with the Socceroos.

He was uncertain how long the FFA will take to hire a new head coach, after Verbeek resigns the posting after the World Cup.

Adelaide United have appointed Vidmar’s assistant Phil Stubbins as caretaker head coach.

United’s chief executive officer Sam Ciccarello said the club would advertise worldwide for a fulltime replacement.

“We shouldn’t have any problem selecting a really top flight, experienced, successful coach,” Ciccarello told reporters.