‘We are not friends’: Socceroos captain in ugly stoush with club teammate

Maty Ryan signed for FC Copenhagen in search of first-team football – but the Socceroos skipper finds himself in an increasingly heated battle for the starting goalkeeper position with a teammate who has taken veiled public shots at his ability and declared the two are “not friends”.

The Danish club has benched Maty Ryan for its past two matches in favour of Polish rival Kamil Grabara, who has returned from a long-term injury and declared he should be the first-choice custodian.

Maty Ryan’s teammate at FC Copenhagen has taken veiled public shots at his ability.Credit: Getty

Grabara, who spent five years on Liverpool’s books without making an English Premier League appearance, was Copenhagen’s No.1 last season as they won the Danish Superliga title. He appeared to put the blame for their current domestic struggles at Ryan’s feet.

While there is always some tension between goalkeepers, given only one can play at a time, it is rare to see it escaping a club’s inner sanctum to this extent. It places Ryan, who needs regular football to hold off challenges from Mitch Langerak, Danny Vukovic and Andrew Redmayne to remain Australia’s top goalkeeper at the World Cup, in an awkward situation.

“I don’t comment on my teammates’ performances – this applies especially when I haven’t been in the games,” Grabara told Danish outlet Tipsbladet last week.

“I can only repeat what I have already said – I just have to state that there is a reason why we are in ninth place in the Superliga and that the goals have poured in. It speaks for itself.

Kamil Grabara is back from injury and clearly intent on keeping Maty Ryan out of FC Copenhagen’s starting team.Credit: Getty

“I don’t see any competition for the goalkeeper position. I have every reason to believe that I am the first goalkeeper at FC Copenhagen.

“For some reason we’ve got a new head coach and for some reason we’ve conceded close to the same number of goals as we did all last season. That’s how it is in football. I’m not going to live in the past, but if I sat on the bench at FCK last season and could look at a goalkeeper who performed the way I did, I had to accept that I wasn’t going to play.

“If a team performs while you are absent, you have to accept that you may have to wait to get the chance again, but I can state that FCK is number nine [on the table].”

Following these comments, Grabara was handed a start over Ryan for last week’s UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester City, and had a decent game despite their 5-0 defeat, making 12 saves.

After the match, Grabara addressed his running competition with Ryan, saying there was mutual respect but not friendship between them.

“I gave that interview and I said what I said. There is no need to repeat that,” he said.

“We don’t have to be best friends, but we train together, and it is in both of our interests that it takes place at a high level. The fact that we are not friends off the field does not mean that we do not respect each other.”

Grabara was again handed the gloves as Copenhagen drew 1-1 with Danish league leaders FC Nordjylland at the weekend. They conceded an injury-time goal to let two crucial points slip, as Ryan watched from the bench.

Most fans seem to be behind Ryan, based on a scan of social media reactions, who they view as one of their best off-season recruits. Notably, he has not poured fuel on the fire by responding. The 30-year-old played a key role in Copenhagen’s qualification for the Champions League group stage, and there is speculation Grabara is being played now to boost his value before a possible sale in the January transfer window.

Ryan has never let down the Socceroos, even through a lean run over the last couple of years during stints as a back-up at Arsenal and Real Sociedad, but what happens next will be fascinating – and Socceroos coach Graham Arnold will undoubtably be watching closely.

Watch every match of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League on Stan Sport.

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.