Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has revealed how a conversation with rugby league mastercoach Wayne Bennett convinced him that his time in charge of the national side was over.
Arnold resigned last week after six years in charge.
Speaking on Fox Sports’ The Back Page Live on Tuesday night, the 61-year-old opened up on how he came to the decision that he was no longer the right man to lead the Socceroos to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Remarkably, it started with a phone call to Bennett — a long time friend — straight after the Socceroos lost 1-0 to Bahrain on the Gold Coast, and before the side drew to Indonesia in Jakarta a fortnight ago.
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“I’ve got a great relationship with Wayne and I always have,” Arnold said. “I spoke to him straight after the Bahrain game, because I’ve been feeling this way not just for one-game, I’ve been feeling this way for a number of months.
“He just asked me three questions, and he made it very simple.
“The first question was; ‘when you wake up in the morning are you excited to go to meetings and on the training pitch?’ I said, ‘no’.
“‘When you look into the players eyes what do you see? You can see in the players’ eyes if they’re really switched on, if they’re focused’. I said ‘no, I don’t think they are’.
“The last thing he said to me was; if you had a lemon and you squeezed the lemon, is there any juice left in it? I said, ‘no’.
“He said, you’ve answered your own questions and all the best.”
Arnold returned home from Indonesia, and after a conversation with Football Australia CEO James Johnson, tendered his resignation.
“Everyone thinks it was a difficult decision, but it was quite easy,” he said.
“I always put the nation first, the team first, and myself last, and I just felt that probably ever since the loss in the Asian Cup, I haven’t felt the same.
“The stomach was telling me, the gut was telling me, it was time to leave.
Popovic confirmed as new Socceroos coach | 02:27
“I feel great. I have no regrets at all.”
Football Australia moved swiftly to replace Arnold and just days later appointed Tony Popovic.
Popovic, capped 58 times by the Socceroos, had moved his family to Croatia after deciding not to renew his contract with Melbourne Victory for the looming A-League men’s season.
When asked if he was surprised at how quickly he had been replaced, Arnold ducked the question.
“I’m here to do The Back Page, I don’t want to end up on the front page.”
Popovic faces a tough task to turn the tide in this qualifying campaign.
The Aussies sit fifth in a six team group after two games during the third round. The top two ranked teams in the group will earn automatic qualification for the expanded 48-team World Cup. The third and fourth ranked sides fight on to the fourth round, where two more automatic spots are up for grabs.
There is a final chance to qualify as well in the fifth round, but Popovic and everyone at Football Australia will be hoping to avoid that drama-charged path.
“They’re two games into the third phase, they’ve still got eight games to go, and I felt that probably if I did stay on, maybe things wouldn’t go the way I wanted them to,” Arnold said.
“When you doubt yourself, that’s when you’ve got to get out, and maybe the players were feeling that a bit.
“I expect Tony to do a great job and they’ll qualify direct for the World Cup.”
As for what the future holds for Arnold? He openly admits that football in Australia has worn him out. It’s clear his next challenge, will be overseas.
“I’d like to go on a new journey.”
