Following in the footsteps of Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory, when Western Sydney Wanderers finally wielded the axe on Markus Babbel, it wasn’t hard to see why.
Winning just 10 out of 41 matches with 23 of those losses, the team averaged just 0.93 points per match under his 18-month tutelage.
This young but accomplished club did, and still does, deserve a hell of a lot better than that.
Worse still, of all the 29 A-League coaches to take charge for more than 30 matches, only Paul Okon had fewer points per match during his spell with the Central Coast Mariners from 2016-2018.
In an unprecedented move, Babbel chose to share a lengthy parting message where he repeatedly thanked Wanderers staff, members of the media and the club’s fans.
To say that it was downright bizarre is not entirely unreasonable because Babbel’s record with the Wanderers was hugely unflattering and put simply, he achieved nothing.
If things weren’t strange enough, the response from the football community was even more baffling.
Pundits, journalists and fans took to social media to flood it with heart-filled messages, exclaiming that we’d “lost someone special” and that he was “welcome back to Australian football” any time.
Seriously?
Babbel not only had the second-worst managerial record in the competition but he swore at journalists in press conferences, steered the club from first to ninth in a matter of months, routinely threw players under the bus publicly, blamed referees for results and claimed his side were the worst in the league ahead of a Sydney derby in October.
Yet somehow, amnesia had swept through the football fraternity at large and people had forgotten all of this all because of a few thank yous.
To make matters worse, a mere 24 hours later, the former Liverpool defender spoke with German free-to-air broadcaster Sport1 but this time, of Hyde than Jekyll.
“If I had another year, it might have been a bit different but the performance of the referees is borderline. Now I can say that without being punished," Babbel said.
“It was clear from the beginning that we would return to Germany. I will need better football again.
“The football level is below par.”
Some might be quick to argue that Babbel’s statements are true but the problem I have is not with the truth, it’s treating the Australian football community like fools by seemingly kissing us goodbye and then slapping us in the face behind our backs.
Irrespective of his complimentary tone in other parts of the interview, Babbel blaming the referees and suggesting that had he had another year it could have been different are just hiding the fact that he wasn’t good enough.
He is entitled to his opinion, of that there is no doubt but the fact that he wasn’t able to produce results in what he labelled a sub-par league is deliciously ironic.
Ultimately, these foreign coaching experiments should serve as a great lesson to all 12 club owners, both present and future.
Historically, Australian coaches have proven time and time again that they are the more successful option yet we’re still caught in that trap of believing that a foreigner is somehow the more prestigious path.
Sure their names might be fun to pronounce but the game is lacking real heart, soul and a clear identity that is authentically Australian at the moment.
When a foreigner is brought here, it should be because we truly believe they can add value to our game and not the other way around.
As I wrote a few weeks ago, we are at a dangerous crossroads now, whereby if we don’t start to make more informed and well-researched decisions, football is at risk of falling away completely.
In the absence of promotion/relegation, and with Football Federation Australia chiefs creating more steering committees and working groups around a national second division than you can poke a stick at, we should be capitalising on the opportunity to introduce homegrown talent on the coaching and playing circuits.
While Babbel may have been off the mark about a lot of things, he was on the money when he said, “here in Australia, you live in a paradise city, a paradise country because in Europe, it is much more difficult if you can go down in a second division.”
Difficult yes, but as most A-League coaches both past and present will tell you, once you get the sack, there’s nothing pretty about paradise city.
