When Ange Postecoglou led Tottenham Hotspur to a 1–0 victory over Manchester United in the 2025 UEFA Europa League final, it was hailed as a historic breakthrough for Australian football.
The win, sealed at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, ended Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought and was their first European silverware since 1984.
It also secured Tottenham a place in the UEFA Champions League and marked another major milestone in Postecoglou’s decorated coaching career.
Messages of admiration flowed, and coaches like Melbourne Victory’s Arthur Diles praised him for ‘flying the flag’ for Australian coaching talent.
‘It’s a huge moment for Australian football coaches,’ Diles said. ‘He deserves all the credit he gets.’
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has every reason to smile after becoming the first Australian coach to win the Europa League final
The huge win comes after there was intense speculation the Aussie could be dumped as Spurs coach – and his future is not safe yet
But not everyone agreed that Postecoglou should be seen as the first Australian to win a European trophy.
Soon after the match, The [Female] Athlete Project posted a pointed correction on Facebook.
‘Hi team,’ the group wrote, ‘there are a lot of posts today about Ange Postecoglou being the first Australian or even non-European manager to win a European trophy in football.
‘However, Joe Montemurro, manager of OL Lyonnes, has won multiple trophies. I’d appreciate you pointing this out as a clear oversight of women’s football.’
Montemurro, a fellow Melburnian, has quietly built one of the most successful coaching résumés in women’s football.
He began his rise in Australia with Melbourne City Women, guiding them to an undefeated season in 2015.
After a title-winning spell at Arsenal Women, he moved to Juventus, winning a domestic treble in his first season.
In 2024, he took over Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, renamed OL Lyonnes, where he continued the club’s dominance in France.
![The [Female] Athlete Project has pointed out that Australian Joe Montemurro has won many trophies in Europe coaching women's teams](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/05/23/06/98677667-14741947-The_Female_Athlete_Project_has_pointed_out_that_Australian_Joe_M-a-11_1747978941988.jpg)
The [Female] Athlete Project has pointed out that Australian Joe Montemurro has won many trophies in Europe coaching women’s teams
Montemurro has been touted to replace interim coach Tom Sermanni as Australian Matildas boss
The Tillies have been without a fulltime mentor since Tony Gustavsson stepped down after the doomed Paris Olympics campaign
Under his leadership, Lyon clinched the 2024–25 Première Ligue title, their 18th top-flight crown, while completing an unbeaten league campaign.
Though Lyon fell to Arsenal in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals, Montemurro’s record remained formidable.
Supporters of women’s sport viewed the omission of his achievements from the broader conversation as a disappointing blind spot.
Chloe Dalton’s [Female] Athlete Project, founded in 2020, exists to address exactly that kind of gap in recognition.
TFAP’s mission is to celebrate women in sport through storytelling, media, and advocacy, and their intervention this week sparked widespread conversation.
Montemurro himself has not commented, but is reportedly in line to become the next Matildas head coach.
The national team has been without a full-time leader since Tony Gustavsson stepped down after the 2024 Olympics.
Veteran coach Tom Sermanni has served as interim, but Football Australia is expected to name Montemurro before the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
While Postecoglou’s victory is rightly being celebrated, fans and analysts alike are beginning to acknowledge the parallel path carved by Montemurro.
Postecoglou, who previously coached Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory and the Socceroos, is now one of the most recognisable figures in the global game.
His success at Celtic and in Japan preceded this latest achievement in north London.
He now holds trophies across four countries and three continents.
