Montemurro on home Asian Cup, WSL pressure & fixing cultures

As a club coach with Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon, and an international coach with Australia, Joe Montemurro has experience of pressure from both sides.

The recent flurry of club managerial sackings in England has highlighted the volatility of elite coaching.

“You only see from the outside,” reflects Montemurro.

Montemurro suggests time is a precious commodity.

“The nature of what we do means we don’t have time anymore. It’s a high-pressure scenario – results aren’t just about winning matches.

“It’s fan engagement, it’s commercial, it’s money, it’s economics, it’s all the other ‘side dishes’, if you want to call it that.”

From 2017-2021 Montemurro was head coach of Arsenal Women. In 2021, he managed Juventus’ women side, before becoming the first non-French manager at eight-time Women’s Champions League winners Lyon in 2024.

After winning league titles at all three clubs, Montemurro was appointed the Matildas head coach in June 2025.

“It’s been an interesting transition,” he tells BBC Sport from Australia. “You’re used to the day-to-day contact with players and staff, the excitement of games coming quickly.

Melbourne-born Montemurro’s international journey is about to accelerate. The Women’s Asian Cup begins on 1 March in his homeland, with the final set to be staged at Stadium Australia in Sydney – the same arena where Australia’s men lifted the trophy in 2015 when Ange Postecoglou led the Socceroos to a 2-1 extra-time victory over South Korea.

The Matildas are chasing a second Asian Cup crown after a penalty shootout final win over North Korea in 2010 – a tournament where a 16-year-old Sam Kerr scored her first two international goals.

Hosting the Asian Cup comes at a pivotal moment for women’s football in Australia, building on momentum generated by the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023, which the country co-hosted with New Zealand.

There will be an exodus from the Women’s Super League (WSL) with 13 of Australia’s 26-player squad currently playing in this country, underlining the depth of Australian influence in England’s top flight.

Montemurro understands the tension that creates for clubs.

“The timing is never perfect,” he adds. “I’ve been in that position when you lose players. It’s unfortunate. But one thing clubs sometimes forget is that it’s an honour for these players to represent their country.

“These tournaments don’t come around often. For the Australian players, it’s a home tournament – the opportunity to do well in that is exciting.”

Montemurro accepts there are “pros and cons”, particularly as the WSL season reaches decisive months, but believes most clubs “now plan for such absences”.

Japan have called up 16 players from the WSL for their squad, including Ayaka Yamashita, Aoba Fujino and Yui Hasegawa from WSL leaders Manchester City.

Players will travel around 21 February to prepare for the tournament which runs from 1-21 March.

Should Australia reach the final, English-based players will miss two WSL games and an FA Cup fifth-round match.

Arsenal trio Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross are heading to the tournament, and, should Australia progress to the quarter-finals, Chelsea will be without striker Kerr and defender Ellie Carpenter for their League Cup final against Manchester United, which takes place on 15 March at Ashton Gate in Bristol.

Montemurro has also backed Manchester City forward Mary Fowler to return to fitness for the tournament, despite playing only 15 minutes since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in April 2025.

The full list of WSL players in Australia’s Asian Cup squad:

Montemurro is also clear the women’s game in Australia must raise its professional standards.

A recent report from the Players Football Association in Australia highlighted low average salaries of A$30,000 (£15,500) in the domestic women’s league, with around 63% of players working second jobs.

“There are minimum standards that all professional leagues are ascertaining,” says Montemurro, 56. “We need to make sure we adhere to those standards.

“There’s really no excuse from my perspective. There should be the minimum standards of proper 12-month contracts, pay that’s relative to a professional contract [and] all the benefits that come with that.

“But also the environments that clubs adhere to in terms of their minimum standards – the proper medical, the proper technical, tactical analysis, everything that a professional sporting organisation should have.

“I think the biggest question is to understand what are the minimum standards from a worldwide perspective that we should be achieving in Australia. We must adhere to those.”

Recent FIFPRO research shows the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup could generate up to US$82.4m (£61m), potentially making it the tournament’s most commercially successful edition. Yet, the current prize pool remains $1.8m (£1.3m) – unchanged from four years ago and just 12% of the men’s equivalent.

Asked if that should increase, Montemurro adds: “Totally. If national organisations are investing substantially in travel, tournaments and preparation, the prize pool should reflect that.

The Women’s Asian Cup will stage matches in Perth, Gold Coast and Sydney.

Perth’s 60,000-seat stadium will host the opener on 1 March as Australia face the Philippines, while the final will be played in Sydney at the 79,500-seat Stadium Australia on 21 March.