EXCLUSIVE: Former Sydney FC coach Branko Culina has branded club chairman Andrew Kemeny a "hypocrite" during his short but relatively successful stint as sky blues manager in 2007.
Speaking exclusively with au.fourfourtwo.com, the former Australian coach of the year and father of Socceroo Jason Culina says Sydney FC's run in the 2007 Asian Champions League was conveniently forgotten by incoming Sydney FC chairman Andrew Kemeny, who arrived early in the 2007/8 A-League season.
"It [Sydney FC's ACL campaign in 2007] was a remarkable effort, so that's why I get a bit annoyed when Kemeny came in and disregarded everything that we did in the ACL," said Culina.
"If you speak with many football people in China and Japan, they'll tell you how impressed they were with our side.
"He's [Kemeny] come in and wanted to get rid of me straight away.
"It's sad because if we did so well then, why were we such a bad team such a short time later?"
Kemeny, a long-time associate of John Kosmina, ditched Culina for Kosmina in October 2007 after the sky blues failed to set the league alight. Many point to the off-season ACL campaign as a reason for the slow start.
Since then, Sydney's fortunes have been mixed. They made the finals last season but fell at the first hurdle against Newcastle Jets.
Currently, Kosmina's Sydney could end up in the bottom two of the A-League after a disastrous season cruelled by a run of injuries and lacklustre performances.
For the first time in the club's history, there won't be finals football at Moore Park.
"I came out a few days ago and backed Kossie because clubs should start to take their responsibilities more seriously," added Culina.
"But now Kemeny's saying Kossie's got a contract for another year, yet he wanted to get rid of me early in the season when I had two years left on my contract."
Culina has a point about Sydney's 2007 ACL campaign. The side was a shambles and down on confidence following their exit from the A-League finals and the sacking of coach Terry Butcher.
The former Sydney United and Sydney Olympic coach reinvigorated Sydney's flagging fortunes taking over just three weeks before the start of the ACL in March of that year.
The sky blues shocked Holger Osieck's Red Diamonds with a 2-2 draw at the SFS before a 0-0 draw in Saitama ended their campaign agonisingly close to qualificaition – a campaign that opened with a stunning 2-1 win away to Shanghai Shenhua.
And despite the unknown terrain of the ACL - which included a horror trip to a baking hot Indonesia to play on a terrible surface – the Sydneysiders would've qualified had the top two rule for group qualification been in place.
Sydney was playing attractive football and getting good results. But it wasn't enough.
"He [Kemeny] was a hypocrite basically because the [current] side has lost four in a row, or six from eight... god knows what would've happened [with me]," said Culina.
"If you have a hypocrite chairman who comes in and expects you to get results in the first week when you're peaking later on, you could be without a coach and finished before you even start," Culina added of the difficulty of preparing players for an A-League campaign on the back of a ACL run in the off-season.
Culina however is proud of his time at Moore Park – a time when the club regained its image as a ball-playing outfit.
"And of course we have smaller squads [in the A-League]," said Culina. "I mean at one point at Sydney FC we had only 13 players.
"I'm so proud of the players in 2007 because we didn't have the depth. The ACL was a humungus effort.
"And top of all that we had Olyroo commitments with Milligan, Zadkovich and Topor Stanley. That was another problem for us, which is why I say it was a phenomenal effort by us.
"And it gave us a lot of pride when Urawa Reds went on and won the competition.
"We were the only team that didn't lose against them – 2-2 at home and away we were unlucky when David [Zdrilic] missed a header in front of 55,000 [in Saitama].
"Really, I was just very proud that we matched it with a very good team that went on to become continental champions, who were truly the best team in the J-League and ACL.
"And I guess in hindsight you could say we could've gone all the way had we not lost in the heat of Indonesia against Persik Kediri.
"I get annoyed when people on [internet] forums don't understand the full story. We had $180,000 [to spend] because of the previous management. It went on six players.
"Its frustrating but you've got to take it on the chin but it's disappointing that people judge you a certain way – we should be judged on our ACL as well.
"The frustrating thing is that people have short memories. They look at those nine games [in the A-League]."
Culina also reveals the club's plans for marquee striker John Aloisi stretch back longer than just 2008.
He added: "I sat down with Mr [Frank] Lowy after the ACL and we spoke.
"At the time there was talk that Kossie would get my job. I said if you have Kossie in mind, just say so and I'll be fine with that.
"No, they said, they can guarantee it. But then chairmen changed and I was out. But I remember sitting in Mr Lowy's office and I told him we need to make changes. 'This is an aging squad. We need to make a few changes, so we can be strong in years to come', I said.
"He said, 'are we good enough to make the top four?' I said we're good enough no doubt as long as all our players are available.
"But I said 'we're not as good as you or I would like us to be'.
"Then he said, 'why don't we try for John Aloisi?'
"But I said according to what George Perry [then CEO] had told me, he wanted a lot of money and a two or three year deal and I don't think it's good business, even though I like John.
"At his age with his history of injuries and he wants a three year deal, and he [Lowy] said, 'I think you're right.'"
Culina defends Aloisi's contribution this season saying that there has been too much focus on the player which may be just a smokescreen.
"Johnny's only one part of the team. Is it taking the heat off the club by blaming him, I'm not sure but it's not fair to John [Aloisi] to blame him.
"A journo asked me yesterday, 'what do you think about Kemeny saying Kossie needs more time?'.
"I said 'I'm not going to comment on it but Kossie is the longest serving coach at Sydney FC. I had nine games."
Culina concluded by posing a question: "How much better is Sydney FC now, then what they were 12 months ago? Then make your judgement on that."
"It [Sydney FC's ACL campaign in 2007] was a remarkable effort, so that's why I get a bit annoyed when Kemeny came in and disregarded everything that we did in the ACL," said Culina.
"If you speak with many football people in China and Japan, they'll tell you how impressed they were with our side.
"He's [Kemeny] come in and wanted to get rid of me straight away.
"It's sad because if we did so well then, why were we such a bad team such a short time later?"
Kemeny, a long-time associate of John Kosmina, ditched Culina for Kosmina in October 2007 after the sky blues failed to set the league alight. Many point to the off-season ACL campaign as a reason for the slow start.
Since then, Sydney's fortunes have been mixed. They made the finals last season but fell at the first hurdle against Newcastle Jets.
Currently, Kosmina's Sydney could end up in the bottom two of the A-League after a disastrous season cruelled by a run of injuries and lacklustre performances.
For the first time in the club's history, there won't be finals football at Moore Park.
"I came out a few days ago and backed Kossie because clubs should start to take their responsibilities more seriously," added Culina.
"But now Kemeny's saying Kossie's got a contract for another year, yet he wanted to get rid of me early in the season when I had two years left on my contract."
Culina has a point about Sydney's 2007 ACL campaign. The side was a shambles and down on confidence following their exit from the A-League finals and the sacking of coach Terry Butcher.
The former Sydney United and Sydney Olympic coach reinvigorated Sydney's flagging fortunes taking over just three weeks before the start of the ACL in March of that year.
The sky blues shocked Holger Osieck's Red Diamonds with a 2-2 draw at the SFS before a 0-0 draw in Saitama ended their campaign agonisingly close to qualificaition – a campaign that opened with a stunning 2-1 win away to Shanghai Shenhua.
And despite the unknown terrain of the ACL - which included a horror trip to a baking hot Indonesia to play on a terrible surface – the Sydneysiders would've qualified had the top two rule for group qualification been in place.
Sydney was playing attractive football and getting good results. But it wasn't enough.
"He [Kemeny] was a hypocrite basically because the [current] side has lost four in a row, or six from eight... god knows what would've happened [with me]," said Culina.
"If you have a hypocrite chairman who comes in and expects you to get results in the first week when you're peaking later on, you could be without a coach and finished before you even start," Culina added of the difficulty of preparing players for an A-League campaign on the back of a ACL run in the off-season.
Culina however is proud of his time at Moore Park – a time when the club regained its image as a ball-playing outfit.
"And of course we have smaller squads [in the A-League]," said Culina. "I mean at one point at Sydney FC we had only 13 players.
"I'm so proud of the players in 2007 because we didn't have the depth. The ACL was a humungus effort.
"And top of all that we had Olyroo commitments with Milligan, Zadkovich and Topor Stanley. That was another problem for us, which is why I say it was a phenomenal effort by us.
"And it gave us a lot of pride when Urawa Reds went on and won the competition.
"We were the only team that didn't lose against them – 2-2 at home and away we were unlucky when David [Zdrilic] missed a header in front of 55,000 [in Saitama].
"Really, I was just very proud that we matched it with a very good team that went on to become continental champions, who were truly the best team in the J-League and ACL.
"And I guess in hindsight you could say we could've gone all the way had we not lost in the heat of Indonesia against Persik Kediri.
"I get annoyed when people on [internet] forums don't understand the full story. We had $180,000 [to spend] because of the previous management. It went on six players.
"Its frustrating but you've got to take it on the chin but it's disappointing that people judge you a certain way – we should be judged on our ACL as well.
"The frustrating thing is that people have short memories. They look at those nine games [in the A-League]."
Culina also reveals the club's plans for marquee striker John Aloisi stretch back longer than just 2008.
He added: "I sat down with Mr [Frank] Lowy after the ACL and we spoke.
"At the time there was talk that Kossie would get my job. I said if you have Kossie in mind, just say so and I'll be fine with that.
"No, they said, they can guarantee it. But then chairmen changed and I was out. But I remember sitting in Mr Lowy's office and I told him we need to make changes. 'This is an aging squad. We need to make a few changes, so we can be strong in years to come', I said.
"He said, 'are we good enough to make the top four?' I said we're good enough no doubt as long as all our players are available.
"But I said 'we're not as good as you or I would like us to be'.
"Then he said, 'why don't we try for John Aloisi?'
"But I said according to what George Perry [then CEO] had told me, he wanted a lot of money and a two or three year deal and I don't think it's good business, even though I like John.
"At his age with his history of injuries and he wants a three year deal, and he [Lowy] said, 'I think you're right.'"
Culina defends Aloisi's contribution this season saying that there has been too much focus on the player which may be just a smokescreen.
"Johnny's only one part of the team. Is it taking the heat off the club by blaming him, I'm not sure but it's not fair to John [Aloisi] to blame him.
"A journo asked me yesterday, 'what do you think about Kemeny saying Kossie needs more time?'.
"I said 'I'm not going to comment on it but Kossie is the longest serving coach at Sydney FC. I had nine games."
Culina concluded by posing a question: "How much better is Sydney FC now, then what they were 12 months ago? Then make your judgement on that."
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