Former England and Tottenham Hotspur manager Terry Venables passed away at the age of 80, and on Monday in Australia, where he served as head coach of the Socceroos for two years, he was fondly remembered. (Reuters)
Australia’s hearts were heavy, as the most notable aspect of Venables’s reign was the failure to qualify for the 1998 World Cup in a playoff against Iran. Still, warm tributes were paid to the man known as “El Tel” after his time at Barcelona. (Reuters)
It was a huge surprise when Venables was lured Down Under after England’s semi-final exit from Euro 96, with Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Spurs, and the Catalan giants on his resume. (Reuters)
Former Australia midfielder Robbie Slater told Fox Sports News, “We had to pinch ourselves to think we had Terry Venables as coach, it was very surreal.” He continued, saying, “He was a wonderful man, larger than life, almost like a rock star. As a person, I found him so endearing and so easy to like and I think his man-management skills were incredible.” (Reuters)
Under Venables, Australia reached the final of the 1997 Confederations Cup, where they lost 6-0 to Brazil after hat-tricks from Ronaldo and Romario, and breached the top 30 of the FIFA rankings for the first time. (Reuters)
However, the Socceroos’ ultimate goal was reaching the World Cup finals, and they were on course to do so until Iran scored two late goals in the second leg of their intercontinental playoff in late 1997. (Reuters)
Terry’s assistant with the Socceroos Les Scheinflug said in a Football Australia statement, “Terry was not just a great person and character, he was a very special coach. We were incredibly lucky to have him at the helm of the Socceroos. Terry commenced our journey towards realizing our ambition of returning to the World Cup stage (in 2006).” (Reuters)
Ange Postecoglou, the Australian now managing Spurs, also acknowledged the influence Venables had on football Down Under after the Premier League club’s game at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday. He said, “Anyone who I’ve ever come across who has worked with him will say that he’s by far the best coach, manager, tactician they’ve come across.” (Reuters)
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
