Former Socceroos coach Frank Farina slams Harry Kewell attack

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Kewell hits out at criticism

Cause of the drama...Robbie Slater's column in the Sunday Telegraph. Source: The Daily Telegraph

Kewell's agent, Bernie Mandic, named Arnold in an interview on radio station SEN today.

And while denying a player ever told Kewell to `F--- off' - as claimed in Slater's column - Mandic identified Scott Chipperfield  as the player referred to by Slater in his column.

Mandic took aim at the column, was published in a Sydney newspaper, and at the culture of Australian soccer.

"Everthing the AFL is .. soccer isn't,'' Mandic said.

"And when the herarchy of soccer start asking questions about why soccer isn't taken seriously, it's because of people like Robbie Slater and (soccer writer) Mike Cockerill.

"In Harry's words, why must you make up things  ... why should you lie about fact - when, at the end of the day, it serves no purpose.

"Robbie is entitled to have an opinion ... Harry and I have never had a go at anyone for having an opinion.

"They  and they can say Harry should retire - they can say whatever they please quite frankly - but to say that a player told Harry to F- off  just did not happen.

"For a player to have said Harry has no value to the Australian team .. it didn't happen.

"The player in question was,  and I'll identify him, Scott Chipperfield.

"The source of the story was Graham Arnold, assistant coach to Australia. he wads trtyuing tio flog this around for whatever reason ... I have no idea why they do these things.

"Have whatever opinion you like but  say 'this is my opinion. Seperate opinion from fact.

"Scott Chipperfield  is a good bloke and he did not say that."

Mandic then referred to Australia's disastrous Asian Cup campaign under Arnold's leadership and said:  "In Harry's words ...  the bloke is pure poison.

"He has certain agendas and if you're not in the Arnold camp and you don't back Graham Arnold as national coach  of Australia, and Harry never did, you are on the outer."

 Meanwhile former Socceroos coach Frank Farina has accused Slater of showing  Kewell a "lack of professional respect and courtesy".

Farina, who played with Slater and coached Kewell for five years, described their heated exchange on Fox Sports as "undignified" and in "bad taste", suggesting Slater should have taken up his issues with Kewell in private.

Kewell responded angrily to Slater's column and sparked an angry confrontation, with Kewell accusing Slater of lying.

Farina said he was not surprised by Kewell's reaction.

"Robbie has a job to do and writes his columns, but I'm not really sure why he saw fit to repeat this story," he said.

"Personally I wouldn't have done it, there's a lack of professional respect and courtesy that should be there.

"Whether or not you like Harry, he is a legend of the game, and is still playing.

"When you attack someone like that with such a high standing in the game, they're not going to just accept it. Any professional will react like Harry did.

"Really, if Robbie has a problem with Harry, he could ring him directly. It's undignified and leaves a bad taste."

Is Harry Kewell past his use-by date?  Have your say.

The Herald Sun was made aware of several versions of the alleged exchange between Kewell and another player, with several witnesses claiming it was light-hearted and the "f" word was not used.

Slater was standing by his claims, made in a Sunday Telegraph column, defending himself in a live blog on the Fox Sports website.

"I'd expect the public to support Harry," Slater wrote on his blog.

"He's an icon. But I have a right to an opinion, and I think my opinion was balance. And I think Harry's comments are a bit of an overreaction."

Slater admitted the way the exchange had escalated was "not ideal".

"I'm not jumping for joy after what happened last night. But I go back to this incident which has become the focal point of the article.

"It was meant as an example of the disharmony in South Africa. But my opinion is my opinion, and I believe Harry's had an overreaction.

"It can't always be good, good, good. And let's face it - the World Cup was a disaster. I said it was a circus, and I stand by it. You know it's a circus when you're reading stories written by Harry's Groin."

Melbourne Heart defender Michael Beauchamp is not buying into the feud.

A member of the Socceroos squad at the World Cup in South Africa last month, Beauchamp played in the third and final game against Serbia.

"During the World Cup, I was firmly focused on our on-field performance and from my vantage point, so was every other member of the squad," Beauchamp said in a statement issued by Heart.

"I am not going to get involved in any innuendo or hearsay as, frankly, it's of no interest to me."

Socceroos goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic said Kewell was not involved in any stoush with a teammate.

"We had a team lunch the day after the last game against Serbia (in Nelspruit) and everyone was saying their goodbyes. Honestly, there was nothing said," Galekovic said.

"I didn't see anything and don't think anything happened."

Adelaide United keeper Galekovic said Kewell was made a scapegoat for Australia's failure to progress past the group stage.

"Obviously the team didn't go so well, we didn't get to the next stage and when that happens, fingers get pointed," he said.

"Harry, being one of the main guys and being injured ... the pressure went on him."