Socceroos coach Tony Popovic could be in the running for a bombshell move to the English Premier League as Crystal Palace look to part ways with current coach Pierre Sage after 16 games in charge.
Popovic played for Palace for five seasons between July 2001 to June 2006 and has now been floated by The Athletic as a potential successor to the coaching position, as Palace look poised to sack Sage during the upcoming two-week international break.
Tony Popovic has been linked to Crystal Palace. Getty Images
Other high-profile names reportedly in consideration include Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche, both of whom left their respective former clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest in February.
Palace suffered a 3-1 defeat by Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Monday AEDT, leaving the south London team at the bottom of the Premier League table and Sage firming to be the first coach sacked in the 2026/27 EPL season.
Popovic is currently preparing to lead a largely uncapped Socceroos squad to the Middle East to take on Qatar and Jordan in two friendlies this week.
The games have been loudly criticised by the players for security concerns. They were scheduled as preparation for next year’s Asian Cup – a tournament that has since been rescheduled due to the raging conflict in the region.
Popovic led the Socceroos to the first round of the knockout stages at this year’s FIFA World Cup.
His contract with Football Australia is in a complicated state due to the Asian Cup postponement.
Popovic was earlier this year offered a contract extension to lead the Socceroos all the way through to the 2030 World Cup; however, he declined the long-term commitment in favour of a shorter deal that took him through to the end of the Asian Cup.
That contract keeps him tied to the Socceroos until March 2027, but the Asian Cup no longer exists as a neat end date.
Popovic has already returned to Palace once, after retiring in 2011 he became an assistant coach to Dougie Freedman, a former teammate and friend.
