Graham Arnold’s remarkable achievement at the World Cup has been rewarded with the coach re-signing until after the next tournament in north America and Mexico – but made it clear his ambitions are beyond results on the field.
Arnold, who survived calls for his resignation during the qualification campaign, including from high-profile former Socceroos, led the team to the round of 16 with wins over Tunisia and Denmark in the group stages before they were eliminated by eventual champions Argentina.
On confirming the appointment, Football Australia Chair Chris Nikou said in statement: “What Graham and the entire squad achieved under the most challenging of circumstances during the last FIFA World Cup campaign was exceptional, and we are delighted that we have secured his services for a further four years.
“Football Australia is ambitious, where we expect continued progress and results from our senior and youth national teams, and through our discussions with Graham over recent weeks, we know our thinking is aligned on the future direction of Australian football and the Socceroos.”
Arnold, who made a big deal of the ‘Aussie DNA’ during a a difficult qualification period said: “I love Australia and I love Australian football, and nothing in football can ever match the elation, pride and sense of achievement, I and the entire set-up felt in Qatar.
“The hunger to continue in the role has never been stronger and I know I have more to give to the Socceroos’ program and Australian football, where I want to deliver more smiles for our fans as we did in Qatar.
“I approach the next four years with a clean sheet, which is underpinned by a burning ambition to provide more opportunities to our leading emerging and established talent, whilst challenging for major titles starting with the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar next year.”
Arnold will also provide mentorship to the head coaches of Australia’s men’s youth national teams, support Chief Football Officer Ernie Merrick with talent identification and pathways, and work with Football Australia to ensure football – grassroots to the elite – has access to the best facilities and infrastructure – FA said in their statement.
(Photo by Youssef Loulidi/Fantasista/Getty Images,)
“I’m hugely passionate about our pathways and ensuring we are not only producing more elite talent through a connected pyramid, but making sure those footballers are getting the right opportunities to fulfil their dreams, whether it’s here in Australia or overseas,” Arnold said.
“I will be hands on with our men’s national youth team head coaches to support their own development and further strengthen our national team football philosophy.
“In addition to success on the field over the next four years, I want to help deliver results for football in the form of bespoke infrastructure for our game across Australia.
“Football is the world game, where for a country of 26 million people, we certainly overachieve based upon the funding and investment our game receives.
“For our sport not to have a National Home of Football, and for the Socceroos to not receive any high-performance funding is something I want to support Football Australia to resolve over the next four years.
“As we saw, a successful FIFA World Cup campaign unites and inspires all Australians like nothing else does, and it is in the national interest to support both our senior national football teams.”
The Socceroos are set to play several internationals this year before World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers resume in November.
Cavaquinho
Roar Rookie
It sounds like Mr Arnold applied for the wrong job. It is for the CEO, Board and administrators to prioritise and deliver a home of football. Mr Arnold needs to focus on managing a football team that scores more goals than its opponents.
chris
Guest
That's peanuts in football.
chris
Guest
Every country in the world has a group of people that clamours for the coach's head. As we can see from some of the comments on here we certainly have our fair share. This group were certain that: 1/ we wouldn't qualify 2/ won't get out of the group 3/ won' score a goal 4/ the team will embarrass us. 5/ etc etc etc. Maybe you lot need to just be quiet for a little while?
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Should we trust salary figures from the same sort of people who used to suggest Frank Lowy was on big money when he was unpaid and actually paid for Guus Hiddink.
Freddy Jones
Guest
Another sad day for football in Australia. The way this appointment in plain sight of the public was made is an embarrassment to the FFA Board as it is just so unprofessional. All admiration for his agent pulling off such a laughably lucrative salary deal plus bonuses etc. which at the same time puts the integrity of the sport, already at a low ebb, back another decade. May the football gods strike the mates deals in the FFA down with thunderous lightning bolts of truth, honesty and integrity. Guess I live in hope that the tide will turn but the FFA keeps coming up over and over with decisions that strategically and operationally continue to handicap the development of football in Australia.
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
No Mates you said the Socceroos wouldnt score a single goal
Redcap
Roar Guru
Gauci in!
Garry
Roar Rookie
maybe thou I wouldnt chose him BUT he is certainly well OVER paid
Garry
Roar Rookie
pretty hard when the head is a Sheik :stoked:
Aiden
Guest
Don’t like how we qualified, I think he made it harder than it had to be. Don’t like the style of football. He did an excellent job in the WC, the team did show that they can attack. And his selections from the squad he took over … he got them right. Even Kuol, he looked lost v France but all of us would have had him starting every game. Was the right decision for him not to play the next two games. And when Arnie did bring bun on at the death v Argentina he was vindicated with an almost goal. I was calling for his head pre WC. He showed in the WC that he can be a bit more tactically astute. And given his performance hard not to extend his contract… although the length is nuts. Hopefully Arnie has learned a few things and can improve in the next tenure. If not i guess I can whinge again here.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
nothing against pragmatism when it comes to football at club or international level, when you haven't got the personal to play anything better (EG i dont expect the soloman islands to go all out attack) but i do however expect australia with the players currently at the countrys disposal to pass the ball forward 6 or 7 times instead of passing it backwards/sideways almost instantly) (which seems to happen in each age group) the over achievement at the world cup, should not give everyone rose coloured glasses when it comes to arnie at international level. the same people calling for him to get sacked during qualification, now call him a god - such is the fickleness of fans these days. he was already one of the best paid international coaches in the world (theres well over a dozen legitimate international coaches that could do better on much much less) now hes got a pay increase to 1.7 million a year + bonuses. The FA are bleeding money, but theyre willing to stump up over 5 millions dollars when they could've got an NPL coach (no disrespect intended, i could've said you or me lol) to take this team and easily qualify with the 47 other teams for the next world cup.
Nick Symonds
Guest
NOTE: His contract is worth over $5 million for 3 years.
Grem
Roar Rookie
He deserved this appointment. He loves Australian football and has a strong desire to see it do well and he will fight for funding, structures and programs to help youngsters develop. This could be a really exciting time with the emergence of Kuol, Silvera, Niewenhoff, Devlin, etc added to the further growth of Soutter, Rowles, McGree, etc and combined with Mooy, Leckie, Boyle, etc. He has started to give youth a go and he is going to be further involved in our youth set ups. Those great displays we craved for last campaign may be around the corner. And as I’ve written before where are the golden generation (Aloisi excepted) and others giving anything like Arnold back to the game that made them?
Albert Namat
Guest
Fair play Arnie. But please remember it was little more than a coin flip between your Qatar success and $6M payday, and a collossal managerial failure and enduring ignominy. The opportunity to go out on top was there. But why would ya when its one of the best gigs in the world. One thing FA seemingly excels at is overspending and underdelivering. (Paramount, marquees, KEEPUP?) 6 Million for four years? Arnie's agent is a freaking rainmaker. Good luck. But when you lose to Vietnam and Thailand, and draw with Burma, dont complain about the 'haters'. Do what you are paid a fortune to do and find a solution, without carrying on like a sook.
Grem
Roar Rookie
They’re still a whole lot better than The Wobblies.
John Newy
Guest
Although not a fan, recognition of a job well done is deserved. I still look back at all the missed opportunities to directly qualify and his poor team selection. How much luck does this guy have? If so let’s double down. Still not convinced? Well then the alternatives to Arnold which were widely reported were Popovic and Aloisi. How they doing?
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Oh well, looks like we are heading for the World Cup play offs once again, He chose the worse goal keeper for the R16 match which cost us the game. However he has shown that you don't need talent to make it to the world cup, just need the match fitness and self belief to get there. Cant see the next lot of Socceroo's having that, we will be lucky to get a draw against India.
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
hmmm...This is a tricky one. I am torn. I have never liked the football Arnie has produced for the Socceroos, or Victory, or Mariners for that matter,......but I do not doubt his commitment and passion for football in Aus. He needs to be in the national set up somewhere, I am just not sure Team Manager is it. Full credit to him for qualifying and getting some results at the WC, but it does not make me excited to get up at 2am to watch the next round of qualifiers. I agree, we need a "home" for the national team set up, but I still feel if the professional game is going to invest money anywhere in Aus, it has got to be youth registration costs. Lower costs = more players = more talent = player pathways and professionalism = national selection. I think we are very keen to put the cart before the horse here in Aus, whether it is NSD, a budding young talented player, or competitivenesss at world level.
AGO74
Guest
International football due to its quirks with only getting together 4 or 5 times a year as well as holding perhaps a dozen training sessions (especially in Asia given the vast distances that require travelling) is tailor-made for pragmatic football. As for press-conferences who honestly cares - besides the haters.
jamesb
Roar Guru
Here is the thing: If there was a second division, improved pathways, talent ID and a swag of players involved in Europe’s top five leagues, then Arnold could adopt a more enterprising style of play. Australian football doesn’t need a messiah (coach), instead it needs a proper set up to develop players