FFA announces changes to technical department

FFA has announced a number of changes within the technical department and men's and women’s U-17 national teams coaching appointments.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) today announced a number of changes within the FFA technical department and men-s and women-s U-17 national teams coaching appointments.

Following the resignation of Alistair Edwards earlier this year to take on the full-time role of Head Coach of Perth Glory, Kelly Cross has been promoted to the position of FFA Assistant National Technical Director.

Cross, formerly FFA-s Head of Coach Education, will now spearhead FFA-s Talented Player Pathway. He will continue to report to FFA National Technical Director Han Berger.

With Cross-s promotion, Rob Sherman will be promoted to the position of FFA-s Head of Advanced Coach Education after previously holding the role as FFA-s Advanced Coaching Manager.

Sherman will now be in charge of the whole National Advanced Coach Education Program and will report directly to FFA National Technical Director Han Berger.

FFA is in the final process of appointing the newly created position of Assistant National Technical Director - Women-s Football . The successful candidate will also report to FFA National Technical Director Han Berger

As another consequence of Alistair Edwards moving to Perth Glory, former Socceroo Tony Vidmar has been promoted to position of the Head Coach of the Qantas Joeys (Australian U-17 Men-s National Team).

Vidmar, was formerly the Assistant Coach of Qantas Joeys and will remain as the Senior Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Men-s Football Program.

From January 2014 the AIS Men-s Football Program and the Qantas Joeys program will also be merged in the lead up to the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Vidmar will report directly to FFA National Technical Director Han Berger.

Ufuk Talay has been also be appointed as the Assistant Coach of the Qantas Joeys and will remain as the Assistant Coach of the AIS Men-s Football Program.

With the recent resignation of Vicki Linton to pursue coaching interests in the USA, Belinda Wilson will be promoted to the position of Head Coach of the Westfield Australian U-17 Women-s National Team after previously holding the position of Assistant coach of the same team.

Wilson is also the Queensland NTC Head Coach and the Head Coach of Brisbane Roar in the Westfield W-League Head Coach.

The Westfield Australian U-17 Women-s National Team will compete in the AFC U-16 Championships in August, in which also serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women-s World Cup. Wilson will reports report directly to FFA National Technical Director Han Berger.

Melissa Andreatta has also been appointed as the Assistant Coach of the Westfield Australian U-17 Women-s National Team. Andreatta is currently the Assistant Coach of the Brisbane Roar-s Westfield W-League team and of the Football Queensland National Training Centre program.