Melbourne Victory will not stand in the way of Ange Postecoglou coaching the Socceroos but they remain critical of Football Federation Australia’s recruitment process.

Postecoglou is expected to be announced as Socceroos coach today and will likely lead the national team for the first time in a friendly in Sydney on November 15, possibly against Costa Rica.

The 48-year-old’s ascension to the top job was delayed by his A-League club Melbourne Victory seeking a million-dollar pay-out from Football Federation Australia (FFA) for taking their coach.

The Melbourne club, however, has released a statement saying they will not stand in the way of Postecoglou taking the reins of the Socceroos.

“The circumstances that Ange and the Club have been confronted with are complex and compelling no matter what perspective you take. That said, we have made it clear to Ange that we will not stand in the way of him accepting the biggest coaching role in this country,” Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro said.

“Ange Postecoglou has had a profound impact on Melbourne Victory Football Club over the past 18 months and the club is extremely appreciative of everything he has implemented during his tenure.

“Ange’s appointment as Socceroos coach is a fantastic endorsement for our club, its culture and the standards we strive to set. We thank Ange and he will certainly always be part of the Melbourne Victory family.”

Di Pietro was critical of the FFA in his statement.

“However, we are disappointed with the process undertaken by the FFA, given the outcomes we tried to secure could never have been achieved within the timeframes offered, which ultimately forced us to accelerate our decision not to stand in Ange’s way,” he said.

News Corp has reported this morning that Victory were led to believe several weeks ago that FFA had identified Postecoglou as their number one choice to succeed Osieck, but had received assurances that the club would be allowed to turn down any approach.

The Victory has confirmed that Postecoglou will coach the team on Friday against his former club Brisbane.