He’s back: ‘Arnie’ to coach Socceroos after World Cup
SYDNEY: Graham Arnold will take over as Australia coach after the World Cup, replacing Dutchman Bert van Marwijk who was hired on a shortterm basis to guide the team in Russia, football officials announced Thursday.
The Sydney FC coach was one of the main candidates to replace Ange Postecoglou, who quit in November after the Socceroos beat Honduras in an intercontinental play-off to qualify for Russia 2018.
But “Arnie”, a former Socceroos caretaker boss, wanted to see out his contract with the A-League side and ruled himself out of contention.
Instead Van Marwijk, who took the Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, was appointed in January on a five-month contract.
“Arnie is clearly in our opinion the best person for the job, not just the best Australian but the best person for the job,” said Football Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy, in announcing his fouryear deal.
“His pedigree as a footballer and as a coach of the Socceroos themselves some years ago, but his success more recently with both the Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC has clearly given Arnie the right to be put forward for the job.”
Sydney-born Arnold has experience at international level, having previously worked as an assistant to former Socceroos coach Frank Farina between 2000-2005 and then under Guus Hiddink and Pim Verbeek.
He managed the team during the 2007 Asian Cup in a caretaker role for 12 months, making the quarter-finals, after Hiddink left following the 2006 World Cup in Germany and before Verbeek took over.
Arnold stayed on as Verbeek’s assistant, including at the 2010 World Cup, before being appointed coach of the Central Coast Mariners, where he spent three years and led them to the championship in 2013.
More recently he has been in charge at Sydney, guiding them to the title last season.
The 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE will be his first major tournament back in charge of Australia, with the ultimate aim being qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. - AFP