Sydney FC will fight to clear coach Graham Arnold over charges he faces after labelling loss ‘criminal’

SYDNEY FC will fight to clear coach Graham Arnold of the charges he faces over labelling last weekend’s loss to Adelaide as “criminal”.

Sydney FC head coach Graham Arnold reacts at a decision during the A League round 8 soccer match against Wellington Phoenix at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015. (AAP Image/David Moir) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

SYDNEY FC will fight to clear coach Graham Arnold of the charges he faces over labelling last weekend’s loss to Adelaide as “criminal”.

Arnold has until to Monday to make a submission or face a substantial fine and possibly a touchline ban, after his comments at the post-match press conference in the wake of his side losing to a last-minute penalty.

Jacques Faty was penalised for a foul on Dylan McGowan, and Arnold told the media that he would only make a statement at the press conference.

The club will claim that Arnold’s subsequent comments were taken out of context, and that he was referring to his team losing to a penalty having defended with 10 men for an hour after the dismissal of defender Alex Gersbach.

“I’m very proud of my boys, they worked extremely hard, 11 against 10, I thought we did exceptionally well and it was criminal how it ended,” he said in the press conference, before being asked about the penalty decision by referee Strebre Delovski. ““Dylan McGowan said it wasn’t a penalty, he said it to the players,” Arnold replied.

Arnold is likely to cite a text message he sent to an Adelaide journalist the morning after, claiming his use of the word “criminal” had been taken out of context.

On Wednesday McGowan apparently moved to clarify the situation, tweeting that “Its a penalty. Said I wasn’t a 100% sure at the time because the ball got away from me. Definitely contact. End of story”.

Arnold was fined $5000 for not performing his media duties after a game in November, when he sent his assistant, Steve Corica, to speak to both Fox Sports and the written press. He was also fined $10,000 last season after declaring that “the referees honestly, they are pathetic and they are deciding every football game” - a record that may count against him if he is found guilty this time.

Originally published as Sydney FC will fight to clear coach Graham Arnold over charges he faces after labelling loss ‘criminal’