Ante Milicic, the former Socceroos assistant coach, has been named as the man to guide the Matildas out of the ongoing political fallout from the sacking of Alen Stajcic and into the World Cup in France later this year.

Football Federation Australia on Monday confirmed Milicic, who has no previous experience in women’s football but a wealth in the men’s game, as the team’s new head coach after Stajcic left the post last month in controversial circumstances.

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Milicic has signed a short-term contract and takes over immediately. The deal runs through to the end of the World Cup, when a decision will be taken on whether he is right man to take the team forward in a longer-term capacity.

Given the lack of clarity over the reasons for Stajcic’s departure and the acrimony that continues to surround the situation, Milicic will have his work cut out when stepping into Stajcic’s shoes. There have been suggestions from some quarters that the job may be a poisoned chalice.

His first challenge will be to recalibrate the focus of a squad which has been rocked by the recent off-field events. Many of the current players have shown public support for Stajcic, who took the team to sixth in the world rankings and into World Cup contention.

Milicic, who has experience of two men’s World Cups as Socceroos assistant to Ange Postecoglou in 2014 and with Bert van Marwijk in 2018, will meet the players when the squad convene in Brisbane this week ahead of the upcoming Cup of Nations, which starts on 28 February.

The four-team tournament, also featuring Argentina, South Korea and New Zealand, will serve as a critical part of the Matildas’ preparation for the World Cup. The games, to be played in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, will give Milicic his first look at his new squad in action before attention shifts to June’s World Cup campaign.

FFA chief executive David Gallop said the 44-year-old stood out from a long list of candidates, including those from Europe and the US, to have applied for the prestigious position.

“There was no shortage of exceptional Australian and international applicants interested in this elite role,” Gallop said. “Ante’s intimate involvement with our national teams unit over the past five years ensured that he will commence the position with a clear understanding of the systems in place, and with sound relationships with key technical, backroom, and administrative staff already forged.”

FFA chair Chris Nikou added: “Ante has been involved in Australian football at the elite level for many years. While he is highly regarded from a technical standpoint, he is also exceptionally knowledgeable in the development and implementation of high-performance football environments, and understands the Australian sporting and football culture.”