Canberra United is set to turn to a Canberra Premier League master to lead the club through a massive transition period, with former Belconnen United mentor Antoni Jagarinec emerging as the front-runner for the job.
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The Canberra Times can reveal Jagarinec is expected to replace Njegosh Popovich as the Canberra United coach for the 2024-25 season.
Jagarinec and Popovich have worked together for the past two years, with Jagaranic serving as an assistant.
But after launching an expressions of interest process, and inviting Popovich to take part, Jagarinec became Capital Football's No. 1 choice to guide the team.
Capital Football boss Samantha Farrow said the coach search was still ongoing. It's understood a formal announcement about Jagarinec is expected to be made in the coming days.
Putting a coach in place is a massive step forward in the Canberra rebuild process. The club has been plagued by unwanted distractions since the closing weeks of the season, with fears Capital Football may cease operating the team.
"It is an honour to be appointed as head coach of Canberra United," Jagarinec said.
"I have been a part of the Canberra football scene for a long time and feel that this is the right time for me to make the step up. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Njegosh [Popovich] over the past two years and am ready to make my own imprint on the team.
"The club means a lot to me. I was first involved as a support staff member under Rae [Dower] and to be asked to take on the role of the pre-eminent women's football club in the capital is a massive privilege.
"I am aware there is plenty of work to do. However, I am not one to shirk a challenge and will immediately start focusing my energies on building us the best, most competitive, squad that I can."
Capital Football agreed to fund the team for at least one more season, with a view to handing the team to a new A-League consortium for 2025-26 and beyond.
With Jagarinec's deal all but finalised, attention will now turn to re-signing Michelle Heyman and putting other key players around her to aim for a return to the finals.
Canberra has played in the finals just once in the past six seasons.
Sasha Grove, Nicki Flannery and Chloe Lincoln have all left the club to take on other challenges, leaving a massive hole in Canberra's roster.
But Farrow says she will spend the entire $600,000 salary cap and she has already started talks with players keen to help rebuild the club.
"Let me be clear, I want this to be a successful product. I'm doing everything in my power to get us to that point to hand it over and it be successful, I'm not coming into this season to be a participant," Farrow told The Canberra Times.
"I realise we've lost three very good players, but every season players move. We don't want to rebuild, we'll find players and we'll get going.
"I've budgeted for the full salary cap to be spent. I'm not offering basic contracts to players that are worth more. The comments about low balling players ... that was not the case."
Jagarinec has a history of success in Canberra. He led Belconnen to nine consecutive premierships over a 10-year period, including six grand final wins.
It is expected Jagarinec will be offered a one-year deal to lead United given Capital Football is reluctant to commit to anything beyond this season.
Farrow conceded it was unlikely Capital Football - the only state federation operating a men's or women's A-League team - would continue to finance the team beyond this season.
It is hoped investors for a Canberra A-League Men's side will be approved in the coming months, paving the way for the consortium to operate the men's and women's teams.