Storm clouds around FFA’s decision to sack Matildas coach Alen Stajcic should bring their downpour within a week, as the jilted coach considers his options and the governing body mulls over his replacement.

Both parties are moving towards action that will bring the unsightly saga closer to a conclusion. For Stajcic, that means acceptance that his hopes of leading the team in France have died, the possible negotiation of a severance package with FFA, and the prospect of civil legal action.

For FFA, it means wrapping up the loose ends from its bombshell decision and appointing a new boss. Chair Chris Nikou said on the weekend FFA had been “swamped” by applicants; which is expected given the chance to lead a genuine World Cup contender to the tournament in just four months.

On Tuesday, an FFA spokesperson confirmed interviews would begin this week and conclude next week, reporting strong interest from “well credentialed coaches” from around the world.

Nikou laid out an ambitious timeline of an appointment in mid-February but it is understood there is no guarantee the coach will be in place for three upcoming matches on home soil. FFA is hopeful of having their new coach in place by then but are working on a contingency for the matches against New Zealand, South Korea and Argentina which begin on 28 February.

The chairman has been savagely attacked by football fans since taking the decision a fortnight ago. That criticism – either formal or otherwise – has now come from every arm of the FFA congress, the body that elects the board. A number of member federations issued Nikou with a private letter last week, outlining their displeasure with the decision.

That comes on top of public statements from A-League club representatives, Professional Footballers Australia, and the Women’s Football Council – at varying degrees along the outrage scale – that have asked for transparent reasons for Stajcic’s axing.

It leaves Nikou and his new board vulnerable to charges of hypocrisy and falling short of their mandate given they were elected on a platform of improved governance and transparency. Nikou and chief executive David Gallop have cited legal reasons for not disclosing their warts-and-all rationale for Stajcic’s ousting, saying he had overseen the development of an “unsatisfactory team culture”.