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Australian soccer has finally overcome its inferiority complex, coach Ange Postecoglou says.
And the triumphant coach has warned the world his Socceroos won’t take a backward step after their breakthrough Asian Cup victory.
‘‘I really believe this was important from the moment I took the job, that we shed ourselves of this inferiority complex,’’ Postecoglou said in the wake of Australia’s 2-1 extra-time win against South Korea.
‘‘The (complex that) Australian footballers can only do certain things and can only play a certain way.
‘‘I have never believed that.
‘‘And even Australian coaches - I put myself into that bracket that because I’m an Australian coach, I’m (supposedly) limited in what I can do.
‘‘Every time I have coached, I’m always coaching against someone who is apparently smarter and better than me because they’re from overseas.’’
Postecoglou’s fingerprints are all over the cup after what Socceroos superstar Tim Cahill described as ‘‘one of the biggest moments in sport in Australia’’.
‘‘This is a tournament we were never supposed to win with this group of players,’’ Cahill said.
‘‘I am really proud of the boss. I am really proud of someone being Australian and really having the passion to believe in the youngsters, to believe in the talent and really take us to a different level.
‘‘We have opened doors inside this team that people would never have known about until this man showed people.’’
The man himself took pride in crafting the success with Australian coaches and staff - and he wants that trend to continue.
‘‘We have done this with myself as an Australian coach, all the backroom staff are Australians coaches, Australian staff,’’ he said.
‘‘And I said from day one we won’t take a backward step to anyone. We don’t do it in any other sport and there’s no reason we should do it in football.
‘‘I’m not afraid of falling or stumbling along the way or people perceiving certain failures.
‘‘We won’t back down to anyone and hopefully people can see from this point on ... that we have got some great Australian coaches.
‘‘Graham Arnold is one. We have got some great young Australian coaches in the A-League.
‘‘I hope after myself that the next coach is also an Australian coach and we start backing ourselves a bit more.’’
Postecoglou said he would never put limits on what the Socceroos could achieve, identifying giving World Cups a shake as the next objective.
‘‘This is not where it ends for us. It’s the beginning,’’ he said.
‘‘We go into a four-year cycle of World Cup qualification ... I want to go to the next World Cup to make an impact, not just to be there.
‘‘Certainly the intent we have shown in this whole tournament is what we will do moving forward.
‘‘We will try and play our football against the rest of the world with no fear of failure or fear of any retribution if things don’t work out.’’
AAP