A-League soccer: Huss Skenderovic steps up to Jets head of football operations role

The position had been vacant since Craig Deans resigned in mid April.

Skenderovic, who was one of Arthur Papas' assistant coaches last season, has a far reaching role involving the men, women and academy.

Former championship-winning coach Gary van Egmond is expected to return in a technical role and will also assist Papas.

Skenderovic's responsibilities include team logistics, recruitment, academy structure, coaching education, staffing and facilities.

"The appointment of Huss to take overarching responsibility across our men's, women's and academy football operations is a key element in creating a structure for this club that will guide our success," executive chairman Shane Mattiske said. "A critical focus has been to make sure there is clear alignment between all our men's, women's and academy football teams.

"Huss has a great depth of experience built in elite football systems both here and internationally and importantly he's demonstrated his ability to create successful high-performance systems and to forge strong relationships."

Skenderovic is a former technical director at Ajman in the UAE and joined the Jets from Japan where he had been a senior assistant at Kagoshima United.

"I'm wonderfully delighted to be given this great opportunity in building a new phase with the Jets, whilst serving the local football community with passionate support and a vision that will enable the Jets to achieve world's best practices," Skenderovic said.

Meanwhile, the Socceroos will face New Zealand in two friendlies this year to honour 100 years of competition between the trans-Tasman rivals.

Australia will play the All Whites on September 25 at Eden Park, with an Australian leg to follow shortly after in the same international window.

The 1922 match - won 3-1 by New Zealand in Dunedin - was the first officially recorded international fixture for both nations.

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