Graham Arnold facts for kids
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Arnold managing Australia at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 August 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.79 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1980–1981 | Canterbury-Marrickville | ||
| 1981–1990 | Sydney United | 178 | (69) |
| 1990–1992 | Roda JC | 61 | (22) |
| 1992–1994 | Liège | 60 | (23) |
| 1994–1995 | Charleroi | 16 | (1) |
| 1995–1997 | NAC Breda | 63 | (35) |
| 1997–1998 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 28 | (7) |
| 1998–2000 | Northern Spirit | 47 | (5) |
| Total | 453 | (161) | |
| National team | |||
| 1985 | Australia B | 2 | (1) |
| 1985–1997 | Australia | 56 | (19) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1989–1990 | Sydney United | ||
| 1998–2000 | Northern Spirit | ||
| 2000–2006 | Australia (assistant) | ||
| 2006–2007 | Australia (caretaker) | ||
| 2007–2008 | Australia U23 | ||
| 2008–2010 | Australia (assistant) | ||
| 2010–2013 | Central Coast Mariners | ||
| 2014 | Vegalta Sendai | ||
| 2014–2018 | Sydney FC | ||
| 2018–2021 | Australia U23 | ||
| 2018–2024 | Australia | ||
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Graham James Arnold (born 3 August 1963) is an Australian soccer manager and former player. He recently coached the Australia national team.
Arnold first became a coach for the Australian national soccer team in 2000. He worked with Guus Hiddink for the 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign. Australia reached the second round of the finals that year. After Hiddink left, Arnold became the interim coach for the "Socceroos".
He also helped Australia's U23 men's national soccer team (the "Olyroos") qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Later, he assisted Pim Verbeek for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Arnold then managed the Central Coast Mariners from 2010 to 2013. He led them to win a Premiership and a Championship.
Arnold is a member of the Football Federation Australia Football Hall of Fame. He also won two Premierships, one Championship, and an FFA Cup with Sydney FC. In August 2018, Arnold was again chosen to be the head coach of the Socceroos.
In 2018, Arnold took over from Bert van Marwijk as Australia's coach after the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Under Arnold, Australia qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This was Australia's most successful World Cup campaign. They won multiple group stage games for the first time. Their only group stage loss was to France, who ended up as runners-up. Australia reached the Round of 16 for only the second time in their history. They lost closely to Argentina, who became champions. Arnold left his role in September 2024.
Arnold holds several A-League records. He has managed the fourth most games (211) and has the third most wins (116). He also has the third-best winning percentage (54.9%) for managers with 30+ games. He has the best unbeaten percentage (81.5%) and is one of only three managers to win multiple A-League championships. Arnold also holds records for most games coached and most games won as manager of Australia.
Contents
About Graham Arnold
Early Life and Family
Arnold Place in Glenwood, Sydney, is named after him.
In July 2024, the Canberra Road Oval in Sylvania, New South Wales was renamed the Graham Arnold Oval. This was to honor his career and achievements. The oval is the home ground of Gwawley Bay Football Club. This club was Arnold's first, and his family had strong ties to it. His parents and brother were dedicated volunteers there.
His daughter, Elissa Arnold, was the partner of Trent Sainsbury, a Socceroo player, as of February 2017.
Playing Career as a Striker
Arnold started his soccer career as a striker at Gwawley Bay in 1969. He played for them and Sutherland teams until 1979. Then he moved to Canterbury-Marrickville in the New South Wales Premier League. He later joined Sydney Croatia in Australia's old National Soccer League. In 1986, he was the league's top goal scorer and player of the year.
After that, he played overseas in the Netherlands for Roda JC Kerkrade and NAC Breda. He also played in Belgium for R.F.C. de Liège and R. Charleroi S.C.. Towards the end of his playing career, he played for Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan. He then returned home to play for the Northern Spirit FC.
Playing for Australia
Graham Arnold played for Australia's senior national team 56 times in official matches, scoring 19 goals. He made his first full appearance on 23 October 1985. This was in a World Cup Qualifier against Taiwan at Adelaide's Hindmarsh Stadium. He scored a goal on his debut as the "Socceroos" won 7–0.
His international playing career ended on 29 November 1997. This was in a World Cup Qualifier against Iran at the MCG. The game ended 2–2, and Australia was eliminated because of the away goals rule.
Coaching Career
Arnold had a brief coaching role early in his career. He coached two games while playing for Sydney Croatia in 1989/90. His main coaching career began in 1998. He became the player/manager of the Northern Spirit FC. He coached for two seasons, leading them to the playoffs in their first year.
Coaching Australia (First Time)
In 2000, he became an assistant coach for Australia. He then became the interim coach in July 2006. On 6 September 2006, Australia lost 2–0 to Kuwait in an Asian Cup qualifying game. The FFA confirmed Arnold would stay as head coach until the end of the 2007 Asian Cup.
Australia started their Asian Cup campaign with a draw against Oman. On 13 July 2007, Australia lost 3–1 to Iraq, who later won the 2007 Asian Cup. Australia lost to Japan in a penalty shootout in the Quarter Finals. Arnold then continued as manager of the Australian U-23 side. He helped them qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
He was also considered for manager positions at Bolton Wanderers and Norwich City in England. However, Gary Megson and Glenn Roeder got those jobs. When Pim Verbeek became the Australian manager, Arnold and Henk Duut were his assistants for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Central Coast Mariners Coach
On 9 February 2010, Arnold was announced as the head coach for the Central Coast Mariners. He stayed until the end of the 2012–2013 season. Arnold is known as one of the A-League's best managers. This is partly due to his work with the Mariners between 2010 and 2013.
After the 2011–12 A-League season, he turned down a big offer from Sydney FC. He chose to stay with the Mariners, signing a one-year extension. In his three seasons, Arnold led the club to two A-League Grand Finals, winning one in 2013. They also won the 2011–12 A-League Premiership.
On 21 April 2013, he guided the Mariners to a 2–0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers. This was the club's first A-League Championship. This success meant the Mariners qualified for the AFC Champions League three times in a row. In 2013, Arnold led the Mariners to the knockout stage of Asia's top club competition. This included a 1–0 win against Suwon Bluewings in Korea. This win came just 48 hours after their 2013 A-League Grand Final victory.
Arnold is also known for helping many young Australian players develop. Players like Tom Rogic, Trent Sainsbury, Mathew Ryan, and Mitchell Duke improved under him. They went on to have great careers playing overseas. A documentary called 'The Code: Life with the Mariners' highlights some of Arnold's time there. It shows the team's 2013 A-League Grand Final winning season.
Vegalta Sendai Coach
In November 2013, Graham was wanted by several clubs in Asia, especially Vegalta Sendai in Japan's J1 League. He wanted to stay in club football rather than coach the national team. Within weeks, he agreed to terms with Sendai. This made him the first Australian coach at the highest level of Japanese football. He brought his assistant, Andrew Clark, from the Central Coast Mariners to Japan. On 9 April 2014, Vegalta Sendai announced that Arnold had ended his contract.
Sydney FC Coach
Successful Seasons
Arnold became the new head coach of Sydney FC on 8 May 2014. In his first season, they finished second in the 2014–15 A-League season. They lost the 2015 A-League Grand Final to Melbourne Victory.
The 2015–16 A-League season was not as successful. They finished 7th and missed the Finals Series. However, he led the team to a top finish in their group for the 2016 AFC Champions League. They were later knocked out by Chinese team Shandong Luneng.
Arnold changed the squad by releasing 13 players before the 2016–17 season. He brought in Brazilian striker Bobô and other key Australian players. The season started with a 4–0 win against rivals Western Sydney Wanderers. They reached the FFA Cup Final but lost 1–0 to Melbourne City.
The team went undefeated for 19 games in the league. This streak ended with a 1–0 loss to the Wanderers. This defeat made the team stronger. They went undefeated for the rest of the season, earning 19 points from 7 games. His third season with Sydney was very successful. They were crowned premiers with 4 games remaining. They broke records, including the most points in a single season (66 points). They were also the only top-flight team in Australia to stay in 1st place all season.
Arnold was named Coach of the Year. He ended the season by winning the Grand Final 4–2 on penalties against Melbourne Victory. This made him the first manager to win the championship with more than one club. Arnold went on to win the 2017-2018 Premiership. This made him the first coach in A-League history to win back-to-back Premierships.
Arnold was great at finding impactful foreign players for Sydney FC. He signed players like Milos Ninkovic, Bobo, and Marc Janko. These players greatly helped Sydney's success.
Return to the Australian National Team
On 8 March 2018, it was announced that Arnold would replace Bert van Marwijk as Australian coach after the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He also took charge of the Olyroos. Arnold's team started strong with a 4–0 win against Kuwait national football team. In November 2018, his team drew 1–1 against South Korea. Arnold announced that veteran Mark Milligan would be the captain.
His first tournament back was the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Australia, as defending champions, lost their quarter-final game to Jordan 0-1. They then lost to the hosts by the same score. This led to criticism for the team's poor performance. Despite this, he led the Olyroos to a third-place finish in the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship. This qualified them for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He also achieved a record of eight straight wins in the second round of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
In June 2022, Arnold guided Australia to its fifth straight FIFA World Cup Finals. The Socceroos won play-off games against UAE and Peru in Doha, Qatar. In the play-off against Peru, Arnold made a key decision. Before the penalty shoot-out, he replaced goalkeeper captain Mathew Ryan with Andrew Redmayne. Redmayne performed well, saving a decisive penalty to help Australia reach the World Cup. Arnold had faced heavy criticism for Australia's performance in the third round of qualification.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Arnold surprised many. He led Australia to the round of 16 for only the second time ever (the first was in 2006 when he was an assistant coach). They won 1–0 against Tunisia and Denmark. This made him the first Australian-born manager to achieve this. He was also the first Australia manager to win multiple matches in the same World Cup. Australia was eliminated by Argentina after a close 2–1 defeat. After the tournament, Arnold was named the best coach at the 2022 World Cup by French sports newspaper L'Équipe. His contract was extended to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He encouraged Australian officials to do more to promote football.
In the third round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, Australia had a tough start. They lost 0–1 to Bahrain at home and drew scoreless against Indonesia. On 20 September, Arnold resigned as the Socceroos head coach. He became the longest-serving coach in Socceroos history, coaching for six years.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sydney Croatia | 1985 | National Soccer League | 28 | 11 |
| 1986 | 25 | 12 | ||
| 1987 | 24 | 17 | ||
| 1988 | 23 | 7 | ||
| 1989 | 27 | 10 | ||
| 1989–90 | 26 | 6 | ||
| Total | 153 | 63 | ||
| Roda | 1990–91 | Eredivisie | 28 | 8 |
| 1991–92 | 33 | 14 | ||
| Total | 61 | 22 | ||
| Liège | 1992–93 | Belgian First Division | 32 | 16 |
| 1993–94 | 28 | 7 | ||
| Total | 60 | 23 | ||
| Charleroi | 1994–95 | Belgian First Division | 16 | 1 |
| NAC Breda | 1994–95 | Eredivisie | 15 | 10 |
| 1995–96 | 30 | 16 | ||
| 1996–97 | 18 | 9 | ||
| Total | 63 | 35 | ||
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 1997 | J1 League | 18 | 6 |
| 1998 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 28 | 7 | ||
| Northern Spirit | 1998–99 | National Soccer League | 28 | 5 |
| 1999–2000 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Total | 47 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 428 | 156 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1985 | 2 | 1 |
| 1986 | 6 | 4 | |
| 1987 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1988 | 16 | 4 | |
| 1989 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 7 | 3 | |
| Total | 54 | 19 | |
- Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Arnold goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 August 1985 | St George Stadium, Banksia, Australia |  Red Star Belgrade |
4–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 9 August 1985 | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia | Red Star Belgrade |
1–4 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 3 | 11 August 1985 | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne, Australia | Red Star Belgrade |
4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 25 September 1985 | St George Stadium, Banksia, Australia |  China |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 23 October 1985 | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia |  Chinese Taipei |
6–0 | 7–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 3 August 1986 | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne, Australia |  Czechoslovakia |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 7 | 25 October 1986 | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand |  New Zealand |
1–0 | 1–1 | Trans-Tasman trophy |
| 8 | 2 November 1986 | Parramatta Stadium, Australia | New Zealand |
1–0 | 2–0 | Trans-Tasman trophy |
| 9 | 23 November 1986 | Canton, China | China |
2–0 | 2–0 | Ampol Cup Trophy |
| 10 | 11 June 1987 | Kyong Ju, South Korea |  Chile |
2–0 | 2–0 | Korea Cup |
| 11 | 15 June 1987 | Suwon, South Korea |  South Korea |
4–0 | 5–0 | Korea Cup |
| 12 | 21 June 1987 | Seoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | South Korea |
1–1 | 1–1 | Korea Cup |
| 13 | 15 November 1987 | Taipei, Taiwan |  Taiwan |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 14 | 2–0 | |||||
| 15 | 3 February 1988 | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne, Australia | GNK Dinamo Zagreb |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 16 | 26 February 1988 | Bruce Stadium, Canberra, Australia | Taiwan |
1–0 | 3–0 | 1988 Olympic Games Qualifying |
| 17 | 2–0 | |||||
| 18 | 27 March 1988 | Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand | Taiwan |
1–0 | 3–0 | 1988 Olympic Games Qualifying |
| 19 | 3 December 1988 | Macquarie Field |  Fiji |
4–0 | 5–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 22 February 1989 | Parramatta Stadium, Australia |  Malmö FF |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 21 | 12 March 1989 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia | New Zealand |
2–0 | 4–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 3–0 | |||||
| 23 | 2 February 1990 | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne, Australia |  FC Torpedo Moscow |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 24 | 3–0 | |||||
| 25 | 10 June 1991 | Taegu, South Korea |  United States |
2–2 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 26 | 12 June 1991 | Pohang, South Korea | South Korea |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 27 | 26 February 1993 | Papendaal, Netherlands |  Vitesse Arnhem |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 28 | 16 July 1993 | Bersenberg, Germany |  MSV Duisburg |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 29 | 30 May 1993 | Auckland, New Zealand | New Zealand |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) |
| 30 | 18 June 1995 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia |  Ghana |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 31 | 13 June 1997 | Parramatta Stadium, Australia |  Tahiti |
4–0 | 5–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 32 | 17 June 1997 | Parramatta Stadium, Australia |  Solomon Islands |
2–0 | 6–2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 33 | 6 July 1997 | Parramatta Stadium, Australia | New Zealand |
2–0 | 2–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Australia |  |
21 July 2006 | 6 December 2007 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 40.00 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 1 June 2010 | 14 November 2013 | 114 | 55 | 30 | 29 | 48.25 | |
| Vegalta Sendai |  |
1 February 2014 | 9 April 2014 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Sydney FC | |
8 May 2014 | 14 July 2018 | 142 | 81 | 34 | 27 | 57.04 |
| Australia U23 | 16 July 2018 | 28 July 2021 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 55.56 | |
| Australia | 16 July 2018 | 20 September 2024 | 57 | 37 | 7 | 13 | 64.91 | |
| Total | 345 | 184 | 81 | 80 | 53.33 | |||
Achievements and Awards
As a Player
- NSL Cup: 1987
Individual Awards
- NSW Player of the Year: 1985
- National Soccer League Player of the Year: 1986
- National Soccer League Golden Boot: 1986
- Football Australia Hall of Fame: 2004
As a Manager
Central Coast Mariners
Sydney FC
- A-League Championship: 2017, runners-up: 2014-15
- A-League Premiership: 2016–17, 2017–18
- FFA Cup Winners: 2017
Individual Awards
- A-League Coach of the Year: 2011–12, 2016–17, 2017–18
- A-League All Star Team Manager: 2011–12
- PFA Manager of the Season: 2011–12, 2016–17, 2017-18
Australia (Assistant Manager)
- FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Medal: 2001
- OFC Nations Cup: 2000
Australia U23
- AFC U23 Asian Cup Bronze Medal: 2020
Records
- Under Arnold, Australia (Socceroos) became the first nation in FIFA World Cup qualifying history to win eleven (11) consecutive matches in a single qualification campaign (September 2018 - October 2021).
Graham Arnold and the Olympic Games
Graham Arnold has a long history with the Olympic Games. He has been part of four Men's Football Tournaments, starting from Seoul 1988.
- At Seoul 1988, Arnold was a player in Australia's team. Australia reached the Quarter Finals, and Arnold played in every match.
- At Athens 2004, Arnold was an assistant coach for the 'Olyroos'. Australia made it to the Quarter Finals after playing well in their group.
- At Beijing 2008, Arnold was the head coach of the 'Olyroos'. He guided Australia's U23 team through a tough qualification in Asia. This included a 1–1 draw in North Korea. At the Olympics, the Olyroos drew 1–1 with Serbia. They then lost closely to strong teams from Argentina and Ivory Coast.
- At Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Arnold was again the head coach of the 'Olyroos'. Australia had not qualified for the Olympics since Beijing 2008. Arnold once more led Australia's U23 team through Asian qualification. At Tokyo 2020, the Olyroos played their group games in Japan. They achieved a big surprise in their first game, beating Argentina 2–0. They then lost closely to Spain and later to Egypt. Arnold coached the Olyroos to help develop young players for Australia's senior national teams. Many young players from this team have since joined the senior national team or moved to bigger clubs overseas. These players include Denis Genreau, Nathaniel Atkinson, Joel King, Connor Metcalfe, and Marco Tilio.
See also
In Spanish: Graham Arnold para niños
