Muscat: I don't think the A-League gets taken seriously

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The Victory coach has stood up for the competition after recent Olyroos drama

Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat has stressed a recent disagreement over Olyroos call-ups was simply about defending the A-League - a competition he believes isn't taken seriously by some.

MuscatÂ along with Western Sydney Wanderers coach Markus Babbel raised concerns after players across the A-League were called up for Olyroos duty prior to the international break.

Though his comments raised eyebrows, Muscat stressed he was simply standing up for the competition and doesn't want to start a debate over club and country.Â

"Near enough every club was concerned or had an opinion," Muscat said.Â

"It's certainly wasn't club v country. You don't need to tell me how important the Olympic Games are. I went to one.

"For a younger player, it's a great experience. My only point was from a club perspective. I don't think the A-League gets taken seriously. That had nothing to do with club v country.

"I consider the A-League a very important part of Australian football."

Graham Arnold's decision to call his players up early ultimately paid off as the Olyroos sealed progress to theÂ next stage of Olympics qualification.Â

The Socceroos coach conceding the situation wasn't ideal for the A-League with changes a must moving forward.Â

"It's been an ongoing problem for years and we need to fix it. We need to sit down and talk about it," Arnold said.

"The problem I see is that the A-LeagueÂ is not in line with Asia. Every January there's a major tournament in Asia.

"What's the best way to deal with this? Maybe it's to have a break in the A-League."

2019-03-29 10:00:02

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