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Verbeek: I meant no insult

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24 January 2008 | 19:46 - AAP

Straight-talking Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has gone into damage control mode after causing a stir by his frank assessment of the A-League's standard.

 

:: VIDEO - [epl4785|30|Verbeek names his squadepl]

A day after saying that a training run for a struggling German club was better than playing in the A-League, Verbeek said he meant no insult by his controversial comments.

With 20 A-League players heading in to camp with Verbeek in Melbourne on Monday, Verbeek won't have long to see what affect his comments have had on the local talent.

"It's absolutely not my meaning to insult anybody, I don't do that, but it's just reality and sometimes reality is harsh," said Verbeek, who has named 19 overseas players in a 39-man squad for the Socceroos' opening 2010 World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Melbourne on February 6.

"It's impossible to compare leagues who are only three years old with European leagues that have been there for 100 years."

"So you have to build up the credit. The fans are unbelievable, countries in the world are dying to have so many fans in the stadium."

"That's the most important. The fans are excited and it can only be better and better."

"We have to get back to reality here in Australia."

"The league is three years old, it's very promising and has a lot of talent, but it's still different to Europe."

Former Socceroo Tony Popovic believes the Dutchman will still be feted as a hero if Australia qualify for the World Cup.

While Sydney FC coach John Kosmina said Verbeek's criticism of the standard of the competition was giving rival football codes a leg up, his club captain Popovic believes all will be forgotten if the national boss gets results.

"I think friends will be made or lost by results," said the 2006 World Cup star.

"If we qualify he'll be a hero, as (Guus) Hiddink was."

"I think everyone forgot about what Hiddink said before we qualified, and once the results were there he was like a god wasn't he, and I'm sure Pim will get the same reception if we qualify and rightly so."

Football Federation Australia had no qualms with the coach's assessment, with chief executive Ben Buckley, who was seated next to Verbeek at the time, saying: "Verbeek prefaced his comments with the observation that the A-League is fantastic entertainment for fans."

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