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Football Australia CEO James Johnson says Football Australia will talk with Graham Arnold ‘very soon’ about his contract with the national team.
Arnold’s contract as Australia manager ended after the Socceroos’ 2022 World Cup campaign. He surprised many as his side secured second spot in Group D.
Australia defeated both Tunisia and Denmark in Qatar, losing only to group winners France. They were then sent home after a narrow 2-1 round of 16 loss to Argentina.
Arnold to be part of Football Australia review
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As reported by the Daily Mail, Johnson will soon hold talks with Arnold about the future of the team. He praised the Socceroos boss for his role in Qatar, but noted that Arnold has not secured the job for another tenure.
“Graham will be part of the review that we’re doing,” said Johnson. “His contract has come to an end and that’s something we’ll be talking to Graham about in the coming weeks.
“We’re talking about a four-year cycle, and we’re talking two days after the World Cup. If you’re at the German FA, Japanese FA, or at Man City, Juventus, Bayern Munich this is how things work.
“We are not going to have a knee-jerk reaction, we have a four-year goal in mind, and we’re going to make the best decision that we can for this team over the next four years.
“As we’ve seen at this World Cup, we’ve got a lot of good young players coming through, so what’s important is not rushing decisions. It’s getting the right decisions.”
Australia boss ‘did an outstanding job’
Arnold’s position in the dugout was only recently under threat, with Australia falling to World Cup qualifying losses to Saudi Arabia and Japan.
The defeats forced the side into a playoff with Peru, which the Socceroos won on penalties. But the situation was quickly turned around in Qatar, despite an eye-opening 4-1 loss to defending champions France.
The nation recovered to pick up 1-0 victories against both Tunisia and Denmark, much to the delight and indeed shock of the Australian public.
Expressing his pride at Arnold’s achievements on the big stage, Johnson commented: “Graham did an outstanding job in this past cycle. He exceeded our expectations.
“He did very well, very happy with him, personally very proud of him. We have a great working relationship with him and we’ll be talking to him very soon.”
Arnold is currently relaxing on a six-week holiday in England after Australia’s World Cup exit, with his agent Tony Rallis expected to continue talks with Football Australia in the coming weeks.
Former Australia duo linked with position
There have been reports linking former Australia internationals John Aloisi and Kevin Muscat with the role. Aloisi, currently in charge of A-League club Western United, has already stated his ambitions regarding the national team.
“I’d definitely be interested,” said Aloisi. “It’s an ambition of mine to coach the Socceroos one day.”
But Johnson has insisted that Arnold will be the first person spoken to regarding the role, saying: “I’ve had no other discussion with any other candidates. There’s never been a need to speak to any other candidates.”
Thank you to everyone for backing us at home in Australia, here in Qatar and around the world!
Your incredible support made this tournament one we will never forget. 🫶 🙌 👏#GiveIt100 #Socceroos #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/QCRyKlxKnd
— Socceroos (@Socceroos) December 3, 2022
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