Tony Gustavsson bristles with optimism as FFA finds what it has been lacking

When you search Tony Gustavsson on YouTube, the first two videos that appear are of an unassuming man with a hair-bun looking down at a whiteboard that is speckled with coloured magnets.

It is a familiar sight for those interested in football tactics: the dark outline of a football field containing 22 small circles that coaches push around to demonstrate styles and systems, movements and moments.

Related: Tony Gustavsson: Swede named Matildas coach by Football Federation Australia

In one of the videos, Gustavsson walks the viewer through how the US women’s national team – which he assisted under former head coach Jill Ellis for five years – defeated the Netherlands at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

In the space of six minutes and nineteen seconds, the Matildas’ new head coach explained the USA’s entire game management philosophy that won them a historic second consecutive world championship.

It is the kind of tactical acumen that Gustavsson has become known for. When his name began to be circulated in Australian football circles regarding the Matildas job, so too did stories about the man described as “the brains” behind the USA’s 2015 and 2019 World Cup wins.

Most photos of Gustavsson from his time with the US team show him gesturing to players, consulting with Ellis, or lost in thought on the sideline; images of a football mind at work, confirmation of the analytical reputation that precedes him.

But in his first official press conference on Tuesday evening, Gustavsson offered a glimpse of the man beyond the cerebral headlines. When asked about his cultural philosophy – the kind of work he does off the field – the Swede’s response revealed that his tactical head is matched by an earnest, enthusiastic heart.

“People that have worked with me over the years know I am a very passionate person and a passionate coach,” he said. “I have passion for the game and I have passion for people.

“To balance my passion, I also need to work with what I call ‘love and joy’. Passion, love and joy. Love in the sense of loving the game, love to work with people, love the people for who they are but see them for who they can become.

“I want to create a culture where we embrace differences and work together every day to get one day better as an individual and as a team. Hopefully, together with the staff – I talked to the staff this morning and said, ‘without the staff, I’m nothing. I need the staff; I need a team behind the team; we need each other’ – and if everyone can bring their piece to the puzzle and we, together, make that puzzle beautiful, I think we can create a culture where everyone feels important and included.”

Gustavsson ticks a number of important boxes for Football Federation Australia: he has major tournament experience in World Cups and Olympic Games, a track-record of success at club and international level, a unique insight into the most dominant women’s national team in history, a familiarity with European teams and leagues, an ability to manage senior players, and a proven commitment to identify and develop young talent. He brings, as FFA CEO James Johnson called it, “football IP” to the game.

Beyond his impressive CV, though, Gustavsson brings an energy and an optimism to Australian football that has been lacking in recent years. Consumed by internal politics, struggling to define its purpose and direction, and alienating its most important stakeholders – the fans – the professional game has been crying out for something to reunite its fractured camps.

The Matildas have emerged as the game’s potential glue. Consistently rated as one of Australia’s most-loved sports teams, this group of charismatic, inspirational women offer Australian football a path towards internal reconciliation; a step in the direction of a more positive, collaborative and stable era for the sport.

Related: FFA to make women's cut available after Matildas kit release mistake

They are now led by a long-term coach who appears to believe that too.

You felt it on Tuesday when he used the collective “we” instead of the singular “I.” You felt it when he asked, “do we want to get a day better or just a day older?” knowing that he wasn’t just talking about the players themselves. You felt it when he spoke about the Australian staff that will surround him – “the team behind the team” – who he is eager and willing to listen and learn from.

And you felt it when he talked about culture as not just being internal to the team, but something that permeates throughout the entire community: “If we can get everyone together on board and having the same vision and share the passion to create a legacy that is bigger than ourselves, I think we can create a healthy culture.”

Gustavsson’s YouTube whiteboard tactics may leave their mark on the football field, but his most important contribution may be the “love and joy” he helps create off it.