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Adelaide United coach Rini Coolen labelled Paul Reid as unprofessional, following the midfielder’s shock decision to walk out on the club on the eve of their A-League finals campaign.
Coolen said Reid had left him a “big problem” by withdrawing from Adelaide’s side for Friday night’s elimination final against Wellington Phoenix.
Reid wanted to join Sydney FC for their looming Asian Champions League campaign which begins next month, but Coolen refused the deal.
The dispute came as Sydney FC secured the services of North Queensland’s star striker David Williams on a six-month deal.
Williams, 23, will join the Sky Blues for at least the home and away stages of their Asian campaign and then return to the Fury.
But Coolen barred Reid’s move in a similar deal.
“We told him we don’t allow him to go (to Sydney),” Coolen said on Thursday.
“And I think everybody can understand – our club, our sponsors, our team, our supporters – that we can’t do that because we have to prepare ourselves for big games, so we can’t lose him, he’s important in our squad.
“And he was real disappointed about that, more yesterday, and he asked me not to pick him in the squad, he couldn’t focus for the game.
“That gives me a real big problem and also a big disappointment to be honest, I think it’s not professional.”
Reid’s departure rocked the Reds on the eve of their cut-throat final against Wellington at Hindmarsh Stadium.
“It’s always a disappointing moment when you lose a person, it doesn’t matter who it is … it’s not good if you have something like that,” Coolen said.
“This is something you don’t want … anyway, it happens.
“The team is focused, they trained well, they can handle it – they have to handle it because we are professionals and we have to be ready tomorrow so we don’t want to use it as as excuse.”
Reid’s teammates were shocked when told of the spat before training on Thursday, defender Cassio said.
“It’s Reidy and the club’s issue, and to be honest I don’t know what is going on,” Cassio said.
“Everybody knows Reidy is a good player, he’s our teammate.”
Coolen’s hardline stance is at odds with Adelaide’s history, given the Reds hired striker Sergio van Dijk on a six-month contract for last year’s Asian campaign.
Van Dijk subsequently inked a three-year deal to remain in Adelaide.
Ex-Newcastle Jets midfielder Adam Griffiths also joined the Reds on a six-month deal to play in last year’s Asian league, helping Adelaide reach the round of 16.
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