Australia’s Head Coach Arnold: The Decision to Step Down Was Very Difficult – I Treat the Players Like My Own Sons

Following the World Cup qualifiers, Australia lost to Bahrain and then drew with Indonesia. These two winless matches also brought an end to Coach Arnold’s tenure with the national team. Today, Arnold gave an exclusive interview where he spoke about his reasons for stepping down.

Reflecting on his feelings after the two matches, Arnold said, “After the games against Bahrain and Indonesia, I stated that I had to make a significant decision. Ultimately, I followed my instincts and decided to step down. After serving the Australian national team for 40 years, including six as head coach, it was time for a change, and the team needs to continue progressing. Although this was a difficult decision, I believe it is absolutely the right one.”

“Since we failed to win the Asian Cup, I’ve been struggling. I always believed we should have won that Asian Cup. In the past six months, I tried to convince myself to continue leading the team forward, but as I previously mentioned, I felt something was off. The situation now is different from before. Coaches who manage to stay in their positions for six years are rare; as far as I know, only Moriyasu, Deschamps, and Southgate have done so. So, this is really tough.”

“My parents also encouraged me, telling me, ‘It’s time to move on and start a new journey.’ Six years is a long time; nowadays, coaches usually only stay for two or three years, at most three. During my six-year coaching career, I made some significant decisions and helped many players. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I participated in four Olympics and three World Cups, reaching the round of 16 in two of them. If someone had told me all this years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. This shows that with dreams, anything is possible.”

“I love my players like they are my own sons, and this is how I manage. They have achieved extraordinary accomplishments, and I hope they will achieve even more. The staff are like brothers to me, and I will maintain lifelong friendships with them.”