EDINBURGH, Scotland — In a recent development, Melissa Andreatta has stepped down as assistant manager of Australia’s women’s national football team to assume the position of head coach for Scotland Women. The Scottish Football Association made the announcement on Wednesday, noting that Andreatta is anticipated to begin her new role in time for Scotland’s upcoming Nations League match against Austria in late May, pending visa approval.
Andreatta brings considerable experience to the table, having previously led Brisbane Roar’s women’s team as head coach. Since 2016, she has been integral to Football Australia, contributing initially in the technical department and subsequently with the under-17s and under-23s teams, before supporting the Matildas. Despite the lack of a permanent head coach for Australia following Tony Gustavsson’s departure post the Olympic Games in Paris last year, where the team was ousted in the group stage, Andreatta has opted for this new challenge.
Scotland-born Tom Sermanni has been filling the role of interim head coach of the Matildas following Gustavsson’s exit. In reflecting on her new appointment, Andreatta expressed optimism for the Scotland team, stating, “The future is definitely bright.” She emphasized her dedication to leveraging her vast coaching, talent development, and major tournament experience to empower the players and staff to achieve their utmost potential. The overarching goal is to restore Scotland to a position of consistent qualification as the squad navigates a transitional phase, which she sees as an ideal moment to begin building towards future successes.
Historically, Scotland Women have made only a single appearance at the Women’s World Cup, which occurred in 2019. Ian Maxwell, the chief executive of the Scottish FA, revealed that the final pool of candidates included individuals from three different continents. He remarked that Andreatta’s extensive background spans all tiers of the women’s game in Australia, coupled with her valuable role within the Matildas’ coaching team and her involvement in nurturing elite youth talent within a well-regarded performance framework.