Australian midfielder Vince Grella has launched a scathing attack on the teamÂ’s opponents at the Asian Cup and the Asian Football Confederation.The new Torino star was sent off in AustraliaÂ’s quarter-final defeat against Japan for using his arm against striker Naohiro Takahara but that wasnÂ’t his only complaint about an Asian Cup that was a disappointment for the Socceroos.
“He went down screaming as if he’d been shot or something and that intimidated the referee who to my surprise gave me a straight red,” Grella told Australian broadcasters SBS.
“ He made such a fuss, it was like he’d broken his leg or something but I barely touched him. It was an aerial challenge I’ve made a thousand times before without there being any reaction from a referee.”
Grella also had words for the four teams that Australia faced in south-east Asia.
“They all had a bad attitude towards us," he said. "I’ve written the names of Oman, Iraq, Thailand and Japan down and I’ll be tying that note to my little finger, so it will be payback time when we meet again.”
“I don’t know what they all had against Australia but it was a joke. When Iraq scored against us, they were jumping around like Kangaroos, that’s taking the piss. Oman scored a goal, then they go and celebrate in front of the Green and Gold army, that’s taking the piss.
“When Japan called us a bunch of wrestlers before the game. They were winding us up and, as an honourable nation, their people should be ashamed of the conduct of the national team. It was totally unacceptable and disgraceful. What have we ever done to them? Except beat them at the World Cup."
They drove me insane with their remarks,
I’d want to kill them before the game even starts.The way the acted wasn’t in the spirit of football. We have players in the best leagues in the world and I don’t even know the names of half their team.But I wouldn’t have come out and said they were a bunch of nobodies.”
"Thailand were unsporting, even harassing our players after we deliberately kicked the ball out of play while in a good attacking position because they had a player injured.There were guys rolling around all over the place every time we played and all our opponents went out of their way to goad us. But the referees let it all go.
"We need to remember these things and give these teams a hiding when they come to Australia in the future but weÂ’re too nice."Off the pitch Grella was also none too impressed.
"Our governing body needs to make sure they get the respect they show others because the AFC treated us like s**t and that’s not good enough.”
