Iraq’s coach Graham Arnold has revealed that his future following the World Cup is still uncertain, as his contract expires after the tournament and formal discussions have yet to occur. However, he is not considering retirement at this stage.
The 62-year-old Australian, who took the helm of Iraq in May last year, stated that he is keeping his options open while focusing on the World Cup, where the team will make its first appearance in four decades.
“The book is open. My contract ends directly after the World Cup. There have been discussions about them wanting me to continue, but nothing formal has happened yet,” Arnold told AAP.
“I prefer to avoid any formalities for now. I want to experience the World Cup and after that, I’ll need to decide whether to remain or move on.”
Arnold, who successfully led his home nation Australia to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, expressed that the opportunity to guide teams that have struggled to qualify for major tournaments continues to drive him.
“There are certain nations I observe and think to myself, they haven’t qualified in a long time, and I’d love to be part of that journey again,” he remarked.
“I have accumulated plenty of experience throughout Asia, but I’m nowhere near ready to hang up my boots.”
Iraq secured their spot in the World Cup by defeating Bolivia 2-1 in Mexico during their inter-confederation playoff earlier this month.
Arnold noted that Iraq’s qualification campaign has strengthened his conviction that the team can pose a threat to more established sides on the world stage.
“We’re heading out there with nothing to lose and everything to gain, with a chance to surprise the world,” he declared.
“We’ll be the underdogs. We’ll be fighters. If no one is giving us a chance, we can go out there and achieve something remarkable.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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