- The national team has had a lot of problems in the last two games.
- The 61-year-old has held the highest office since 2018
Graham Arnold will step down as Socceroos coach before Australia’s next World Cup qualifier in October.
Sources familiar with the negotiations have revealed that Arnold has been in talks with Football Australia this week, finalising an exit strategy from a position he has held since 2018.
Arnold’s departure comes after the Socceroos managed just one point from a possible six from their opening two World Cup third-round qualifying games against opponents they should have easily beaten.
Australia lost to Bahrain earlier this month and then drew 0-0 with Indonesia.
The FA declined to comment when contacted.
In his six-year reign, the 61-year-old has overseen Australia’s best-ever World Cup finish and two quarter-final exits at the Asian Cup.
Arnold came perilously close to being sacked in 2022 when Australia dashed their hopes of direct qualification for the World Cup and had to rely on Andrew Redmayne’s heroics in the penalty shoot-out against Peru to reach Qatar.
Once there, Australia eliminated Denmark and Tunisia before narrowly falling to eventual champions Argentina in the round of 16.
Arnold (pictured centre during Australia’s goalless draw with Indonesia in this month’s World Cup qualifier) is set to step down from the top job he has held since 2018.
The 61-year-old led the Socceroos to their best ever World Cup result as they narrowly lost to Argentina in the last 16 in Qatar.
Following Australia’s performance in Qatar, Arnold was rewarded with a new four-year contract with the FA and turned down offers to coach at club level to guide the Socceroos to the 2026 tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Arnold said in June this year that he believed he had a team capable of reaching the semi-finals in North America within two years.
But the former Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners manager opted to walk away from the final two years of that deal after a disappointing start to the third qualifying round.
The Socceroos suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Bahrain on the Gold Coast before a frustrating draw against Indonesia.
Those two results in which the Socceroos failed to score left Australia second from bottom in Group C and their hopes of securing a top-two spot and automatic qualification are on shaky ground.
The Socceroos host China in Adelaide on October 10 before taking on unbeaten Japan in Saitama on October 15.
‘Arnie’ leaves with two years remaining on his contract after turning down club coaching opportunities to stay with the Socceroos.
Arnold was visibly frustrated after the draw with Indonesia and vowed to leave and “really think things through.”
While many interpreted that throwaway line as a suggestion he would revamp his squad and tactics (Arnold’s critics have frequently lamented Australia’s lack of agility against perceived “smaller” teams), the Socceroos coach has been considering his position.
Arnold met with FA chiefs earlier this week and is believed to have indicated he would be willing to step aside after a challenging six-year reign.
His likely departure leaves the FA in a mad scramble to find a manager to take on the role on an interim basis while they continue the search for the Matildas’ next permanent manager.
The Socceroos will have to announce a squad for the October window’s fixtures with China and Japan in just over a fortnight.
