Ex-Socceroos boss Graham Arnold reveals the REAL reason he quit: ‘I couldn’t lie to the players anymore’

Graham Arnold has revealed the real reason behind his decision to step down as Socceroos boss in September – and why he is targeting a return to professional coaching.

Arnold, 61, felt he was ‘lying to the players’ as his enthusiasm quickly waned, and was quick to insist he was carrying on for the good of the national team after a poor start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

A shock 1-0 against Bahrain on the Gold Coast was followed by an unacceptable 0-0 draw against minnows Indonesia last month – and Arnold knew the knives would be out.

“I’m an honest person and I had to be honest with myself,” he said News Corp.

‘I wasn’t 100 percent invested in the job and wasn’t enjoying it. I couldn’t lie to the players and say I enjoyed it.

‘If you don’t have that passion, love and fight, then [find] someone can do it better.”

Within days of his departure, Arnold was replaced by Tony Popovic, who has since guided Australia to a 3-1 win over China PR and a credible 1-1 draw against Japan to get the qualifying campaign back on track.

Arnold – who is easily the Socceroos’ most successful coach with an impressive winning record of 68 percent – also confirmed he has not received a payout from Football Australia following his departure.

Arnold felt he was ‘lying to the players’ as his enthusiasm as head coach of the Socceroos waned (pictured, during the eventual 0-0 draw against football minnows Indonesia)

The only thing that was deposited into Arnold’s bank account was the holiday pay that was still owed to him.

During his six-year reign, Arnold – who also won A-League titles with the Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC – steered Australia to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, losing to eventual winners Argentina.

The important achievement is Arnold’s crowning achievement as a coach, but don’t expect him to withdraw from the world championship just yet.

A recent conversation with Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou provided the reassurance Arnold longed for.

‘Aussie Ange’ stressed that patience is key, with Arnold open to coaching another country to a World Cup or even at club level in Asia.

On Friday night, Arnold will again bark instructions from the touchline at Commbank Stadium in Parramatta when he coaches the Tim Cahill XI in a friendly against a team put together by Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho.

He would also like to be involved in the inner sanctum of an NRL club as he was confident his football coaching philosophies could make the transition.

“It’s about how you get the best out of people,” Arnold said. ‘Communication is key.’