A-League Women All Stars coach Joe Montemurro would be honoured to be in the mix to coach the Matildas one day, but insists it's currently not even on his radar.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Montemurro is one of Australia's top coaches having secured women's league titles at Arsenal and Juventus, plus ALW powerhouse Melbourne City.
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson's contract is up after the Paris Olympics, with Montemurro potentially among the contenders if the Swede doesn't continue.
But Montemurro wasn't buying into the discussion ahead of Friday night's friendly match against the Gunners, who comprise Matildas trio Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross at Marvel Stadium.
"At the moment, I don't even think about opportunities that are not there," he said.
"There's sort of a code of conduct amongst coaches that we just don't talk about opportunities that are not there.
"Mr Gustavsson is doing a fantastic job. He's done a great job.
"The Olympic Games are coming up and we hope that the team just continues to deliver on the world stage.
"And yes, it would be an honour and a privilege, one day, to be considered as the coach of this great brand."
Montemurro, 54, is currently taking a break from full-time coaching.
"One of the reasons why I parted ways with Juventus was to take a little bit of time. I needed some time just to reboot," he said.
"It's been 11 years of high-performance, go go go ... you're on guard every day.
"So I'm taking a little bit of time out of football.
"I'm privileged enough to have some opportunities that are coming my way. And we'll wait and see when that happens.
"At the moment, the A-League Women All Stars is the most important thing on the menu."
The Melburnian was "honoured" to be back involved with the domestic game.
"It's all about the spectacle and it's all about the players," he said.
"It's about putting them on a really important platform. And for me, it's really showcasing the A-League Women.
"A lot of the big clubs are scouting around the world and the A-League Women isn't far away from that."
Montemurro and decorated Matildas and Brisbane Roar star Tameka Yallop both promised goals galore.
"It's also exciting for the All Stars team and really the rest of the A-League ... to see what we can do against them and on the same stage as them," Yallop said.
"We're excited that they're here but we're also excited for the opportunity that it presents for the A-League.
Catley relished the groundbreaking friendly in her hometown.
"I think it's a first for women's football and it's really special to be involved," she said.
"Something that Arsenal's doing on the daily (basis) is breaking barriers and being the first to do things and for me, and the other Aussies involved, it's a really special occasion."
Australian Associated Press
