Latest news with #TonyPopovic
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda signs five-year deal with Watford in move to Championship
English soccer fans can brace themselves for plenty of dazzling backflips after the young Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda secured a five-year deal with the Championship outfit Watford. The Hornets announced the signing on their website late Friday, with the club's sporting director Gian Luca Nani taking great pride in welcoming Irankunda. 'Nestory was extremely sought after and thanks to our established scouting network and connections we were able to be ahead of others in the race to sign players of this potential,' Nani said. 'Crucially, we were able to move quickly when opportunities like this arise and that's been the hallmark of our successful recruitment.' The news is sure to delight Socceroos coach Tony Popovic, with next year's World Cup in mind. Irankunda is an unquestionable talent but struggled to get game time at Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Popovic spoke of wanting to see the 19-year-old playing consistently and developing more, and at Vicarage Road he is set to get that chance. 'Nestory can be a very special player and we believe he can realise his potential here,' Nani said. 'He is exactly the sort of profile Paulo (coach Paulo Pezzolano) wanted in a winger. 'The player wanted to come here as he sees the pathway, he has seen how we develop young players at Watford and the vision we have for this club. 'We are absolutely delighted to have signed Nestory and he's added further to the huge feelgood factor around the training ground. 'We're thrilled to have you with us, Nestory!' Named as one of 'top 50 wonderkids' in March last year, Irankunda was an unused substitute twice for Bayern – including in a UEFA Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk in December. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion The youngster, known for his exuberant backflips when celebrating a goal, made 15 appearances for the German side's second string and scored four goals before being handed the chance of top-flight football with a loan spell at Grasshopper Club Zurich. He played 19 times for the Swiss Super League side, scoring once. Irankunda first burst on to the scene at Adelaide United during the 2021/22 season, making his debut and scoring his first goal directly from a free-kick when he was just 15. He made 61 appearances for the club over three seasons, scoring 16 goals and jointly winning the A-League's Young Player of the Year award at the end of 2023/24. Irankunda has five Socceroos caps and scored his maiden international goal in the World Cup qualifier against Palestine in June last year under then coach Graham Arnold.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boost for Socceroos as Irankunda signs five-year deal
English soccer fans can brace themselves for plenty of dazzling backflips with young Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda securing a five-year deal with Championship outfit Watford. The Hornets announced the signing on their website late Friday, with club sporting director Gian Luca Nani taking great pride in welcoming Irankunda. It's official! 🤝✍️🫎Nestory Irankunda has joined Watford FC on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Bayern Munich 🇩🇪✈️🏴#SocceroosAbroad — Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) July 18, 2025 "Nestory was extremely sought after and thanks to our established scouting network and connections we were able to be ahead of others in the race to sign players of this potential," said Nani. "Crucially, we were able to move quickly when opportunities like this arise and that's been the hallmark of our successful recruitment." The news is sure to delight Socceroos mentor Tony Popovic with next year's World Cup in mind. Irankunda is an unquestionable talent but struggled to get game time at Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Popovic spoke of wanting to see the 19-year-old playing consistently and developing more, and at Vicarage Road he is set to get that chance. "Nestory can be a very special player and we believe he can realise his potential here," said Nani. "He is exactly the sort of profile Paulo (coach Paulo Pezzolano) wanted in a winger. "The player wanted to come here as he sees the pathway, he has seen how we develop young players at Watford and the vision we have for this club. "We are absolutely delighted to have signed Nestory and he's added further to the huge feel-good factor around the training ground. "We're thrilled to have you with us, Nestory!" Named as one of 'top 50 wonderkids' in March last year, Irankunda was an unused substitute twice for Bayern - including in a UEFA Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk in December. The youngster, known for his exuberant backflips when celebrating a goal, made 15 appearances for the German side's second string and scored four goals before being handed the chance of top-flight football with a loan spell at Grasshopper Club Zurich. He played 19 times for the Swiss Super League side, scoring once. Irankunda first burst onto the scene at Adelaide United during the 2021/22 season, making his debut and scoring his first goal directly from a free-kick when he was just 15. He made 61 appearances for the club over three seasons, scoring 16 goals and jointly winning the A-League's Young-Player-of-the-Year award at the end of 2023/24. Irankunda has five Socceroos caps and scored his maiden international goal in the World Cup qualifier against Palestine in June last year under then coach Graham Arnold.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
A-League players will find it tough to be selected in Socceroos squad for September games against New Zealand
A-League players will find it tough to be selected in the Socceroos squad for September's friendlies against New Zealand due to a lack of competitive football. Socceroos coach Tony Popovic hasn't been afraid to pick A-League players since his appointment nine months ago. However, Popovic admitted Australia-based players would find it harder make the squad for the games against the All Whites on September 5 in Canberra and four days later in Auckland due to the A-League season not set to start until October. 'I wouldn't say no player can be picked from the A-League, because they'll be assessed accordingly, but especially for the September window, I think it gives a lot of the boys that are overseas that have already started the beginning of July … more of an opportunity,' he said. "The players that were in the national team, they haven't done anything since June, and the players that finished the A-League season, it was April, May – it's a long time not to play a competitive game. 'Pre-season in Europe, after 10 days, you're playing pre-season games, you're getting games under your belt, and then in August, you start your season. 'We should have boys that have played anything from two to eight competitive games before they get to the September window, so I'd say, if you look at that alone, it would put them a little bit ahead of any A-League players.' Australia's squad that sealed 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification in June with wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia included nine players – Daniel Arzani, Aziz Behich, Brandon Borrello, Kasey Bos, Anthony Caceres, Adam Taggart, Ryan Teague, Marco Tilio, Kai Trewin – who had just finished their 2024-25 A-League campaign. Of the nine, only Behich, Borrello, Caceres, Taggart and Trewin are set to remain in the A-League for the 2025-26 season, with Arzani (Ferencváros, Hungary), Bos (Mainz 05, Germany), and Teague (KV Mechelen, Belgium) having signed with overseas clubs and Tilio having returned to Scottish champions Celtic following the end of his loan deal with Melbourne City. The Socceroos' matches in the October international window against the USA and Canada will also take place before the A-League season kicks off. However, Popovic suggested more A-League players would be considered for those two games, particularly with the Australia Cup to provide a competitive outlet before the start of regular season fixtures. The games against New Zealand could also allow Popovic to give uncapped attacking weapons Nicolas Milanovic (Aberdeen, Scotland), Noah Botic (Austria Vienna, Austria) and Adrian Segecic (Porstmouth) – who all starred in the A-League last season before moving abroad – their Socceroos debuts. 'My advice to them would be to focus on your football and focus on playing well. The national team happens on its own,' he said. 'I know that these players will improve by being overseas, and that's great for the national team.'
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Socceroos capitalise on World Cup 2026 head start to bag the best beds
Socceroos staff have begun scouring North America for the best hotels and training facilities, as coach Tony Popovic plans the personnel and preparation needed to 'do something special' at next year's gargantuan World Cup. Australia booked their place at football's 2026 showpiece in the US, Mexico and Canada without having to progress through the playoffs, affording them more lead-in time than previously, as they bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. 'Our goal has to be to try and do something special, and something special is to go further than we've ever done before,' Popovic said. 'If we don't think that way, then I think we're selling ourselves short in terms of expectation.' Although the location of the Australian team's matches and their opponents won't be known until the draw in December, the coach said by then they will be ahead of other nations in terms of their logistics. 'We've got a head start and we've got to make the most of it, we've got assistant coaches going to look at the football aspect in terms of hotels and training pitches and we've got [team manager] Joel Freeme heading a team as well that will go look at the hotels and what we need,' Popovic said. Fifa has expanded the tournament in 2026 from 32 to 48 teams, and 16 cities will host matches across the three countries, stretching from Mexico City and Guadalajara in the south, Vancouver and Seattle in the north-west and New York and Toronto in the north-east. Matches in individual pools will be loosely grouped into three regions aligned with time zones, although long travel – for example a near four-hour flight from Boston to Miami, or five hours from Kansas City to Mexico – may still be required. The recently concluded Club World Cup, hosted in the US, has given Popovic 'good lessons' to consider. 'There's been some discontent a little bit from the players and the coaches about the state of the pitches, how heavy they are and how tough it's been on their bodies, [there's] the time of the kick-offs,' he said. 'We may be playing in the heat and we have to think about that in terms of for how long can you go at that [high] tempo.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The Socceroos have scheduled internationals against Canada in Montreal and the USA in Colorado in October, in addition to a two-match series against New Zealand in September, as they seek to gain experience against a range of playing styles. In planning for his squad for the New Zealand matches, Popovic said overseas players who have already played competitive football may be 'a little bit ahead' of the contingent from the A-League, which doesn't begin until October. The coach is also likely to welcome back fullback Jordan Bos and captain Jackson Irvine, who missed the last window due to injuries. However, he said the return of defender Harry Souttar will be longer after his achilles injury in December: 'Harry's on the pitch, which always a player's happy when he's doing that, still a long way to go.' Several emerging Socceroos have been on the move this off-season, including forward Nestory Irankunda who appears set to join Watford in the English Championship from Bayern Munich after a loan in Switzerland with Grasshopper. 'Hopefully this next move can develop him further, and whether that's an immediate impact with us or not, it gives him a better chance of course,' Popovic said. Another Championship club, Portsmouth, have gone on an Australian signing spree in the past year, recruiting A-League products Adrian Segecic, Jacob Farrell, Hayden Matthews and Thomas Waddinghan, while striker Kusini Yengi was let go in May and has signed for Aberdeen. Popovic said it was positive that Portsmouth had recognised there was value in the Australian market. 'Them being successful can really shape the future a little bit of other clubs taking a chance,' he said. 'And maybe more coaches will do that, or more sporting directors and clubs will do that, so we're very hopeful they do well.'
ABC News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Socceroos door open for Nestory Irankunda ahead of move to Watford as Popovic remembers Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace
There's a lesson from Crystal Palace that Socceroos coach Tony Popovic thinks of when he's asked about teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda. The 19-year-old winger is set for a move from Bayern Munich to English Championship club Watford as he continues to push his case for a spot in Popovic's 2026 World Cup squad. The former Adelaide United star hasn't featured in the Australian national team since last October, left out of the squad that sealed automatic qualification to the 2026 finals with wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia. But with the latest piece of the Socceroos' World Cup preparations falling into place, Popovic has left the door open for a possible recall for Irankunda. The Socceroos will play the United States on October 14, having already secured a two-match series against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in September and a clash with another co-host in Canada. News of Irankunda's imminent move to Watford comes after he struggled to break through for a Bundesliga debut since arriving in 2024. Frustrated with his lack of game time, Irankunda sealed a loan move to Grasshoppers Zurich and finished with one goal and three assists over 19 matches in the 2024-25 Swiss Super League season. Popovic just wants Irankunda, who had also been nursing a hamstring injury that ruled him out of action for the Australia Under 20s in June, to continue growing. Previous coaches like Adelaide's Carl Veart and Olyroos boss Tony Vidmar have been open about concerns over his perceived maturity. Asked about the five-cap forward's attitude, Popovic pointed to something he learnt while working as an assistant at Crystal Palace — where he played 123 games — under Dougie Freedman. "We had [then] 17-year-old Wilfried Zaha who was the most ill-disciplined, never came on time, wanted to walk out 10 minutes before training, didn't want to do the pre-activation," Popovic said on Tuesday. "And it frustrated me. And Dougie said, 'You've got to see. You're just a little bit blinded at the moment. You need to see the big picture'. "Let's understand the kid a bit more; where's he come from? What's his home life like? And you might understand a bit more. "As soon as Dougie made me go to his apartment and see how the boy was living, it totally changed me. "Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn't, but I would never allow anyone to tell me that it's because of an attitude or a character that I'm not picking a player." Popovic insisted Irankunda, who was born to Burundian parents in a Tanzanian refugee camp, still had a future within the Socceroos squad. "It's obviously fresh news for us as well. I don't know if that's definitely done yet but if it is, wonderful," Popovic said. "He got to Bayern Munich because he has talent. It's undeniable, but what I believe [is] he's learning. "Talent's not enough. It's never been enough, and it never will be enough. "Hopefully, this next move can develop him further, and whether that's an immediate impact with us or not, it gives him a better chance of course. "The impression people sometimes have from the outside, which I totally understand, is that if a player doesn't get called up, that equates to you not liking the player — it's far from that." Popovic, who wore the green and gold 58 times as a player, including at Germany 2006, remains unbeaten as Socceroos boss after eight matches in charge. Taking over from Graham Arnold last September, the former Western Sydney Wanderers boss has enjoyed five wins and three draws — highlighted by crucial victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia. Their clash against the US will be the first between the two nations since Australia, who recently moved up two places to 24th in the world rankings, were beaten 3-1 in the final warm-up match before their 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa. The US are currently ranked 15th in world and earlier this month were beaten 2-1 by Mexico, the third of next year's co-hosts, in the Concacaf Gold Cup final. AAP
