On July 4, Australia national team head coach Graham Arnold expressed his deep concern about the current state of the A-League. He warned that the success of the national team is directly dependent on the health and prosperity of the domestic league, urging league administrators to avoid sacrificing club development due to financial constraints.
Arnold voiced his worry over the significant reduction of club payments in the A-League, now at just AUD 530,000. This figure is far less than the almost AUD 2 million distributed last season and significantly lower than the AUD 3.6 million paid in 2018. Arnold emphasized that while the league attempts to recover from past financial difficulties stemming from overspending, cost-cutting should not come at the expense of clubs’ growth potential.
“The domestic league is crucial for both the Australia national team and the women’s national team,” Arnold stated. “The foundation of the national team’s strength lies in a strong domestic league. We are at a comparable level with the rest of the world at the youth stage, but in that crucial period from 17 to 21 years old, young players need more support and development.”
Meanwhile, Arnold expressed his confidence in the national team’s performance in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Australia is grouped with Asian powerhouses Japan and Saudi Arabia in what is dubbed the “Group of Death.” However, Arnold stated that the team’s goals remain unchanged.
“Japan is ranked 16th in the world, but we’re not that far behind,” Arnold said. “We need to go out there with confidence and determination. The players are aware of my expectations. Our goal is to win the group. That’s why we are in the qualifiers.”
The Australian national team will play 10 qualifiers between September 2024 and June 2025, vying for a place in the 2026 World Cup. The top two teams in each group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup finals. If they fail to qualify directly, Australia will need to play intercontinental playoffs against teams from other continents.
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