Middle East teams better suited to Asian Cup's January scheduling: Australia coach

MELBOURNE – Australia coach Graham Arnold has criticised the Asian Cup’s scheduling, saying it suits Middle East nations while causing problems for others who have a significant number of Europe-based players.

According to Fifa rules, clubs must release players for the Jan 12-Feb 10 continental championship in Qatar, but Arnold said that some of his players were under pressure from their European teams about playing at the tournament, which is run by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

“If I was going to say anything about the AFC they should really seriously look at when they do play the Asian Cup in January because, yes, it suits the Middle East nations,” he said in Sydney on Dec 6.

“But I can imagine coaches (Hajime) Moriyasu in Japan and Jurgen Klinsmann at South Korea are probably having the same issues we’re having with clubs at the moment because all of our boys are playing in Europe.”

Arnold, 60, added he was still having conversations with European clubs about releasing players.

His last squad of 23 for a recent World Cup qualifier against Palestine featured 19 Europe-based players, such as Leicester City defender Harry Souttar.

Middle East giants Saudi Arabia, by contrast, had none for the November qualifiers against Pakistan and Jordan.

Arnold’s men are due to assemble in Qatar on Jan 1, meaning some could miss up to eight club games in the middle of their European league seasons if the Socceroos reach the final.

Whether or not he is able to get his full selection of players, he expects 2015 champions Australia to win the Asian Cup – a call he also made before the 2019 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, where their title defence ended after losing 1-0 to the hosts in the quarter-finals.

Arnold’s current squad have less experience than the 2019 roster he largely inherited from former coach Bert van Marwijk after the Socceroos’ group-stage exit from the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

However, he insisted that he felt more relaxed about their prospects in Qatar as he has had time to get to know his players better.

“This time I’ve been working with these boys for five years and obviously with the younger players coming through with the Tokyo Olympics,” he said.

Arnold added that his players are looking forward to returning to Qatar, a little over a year on from the World Cup where they reached the round of 16, matching their best showing in 2006. REUTERS