Former treble-winning Manchester United star Dwight Yorke has parted ways with A-League Men’s outfit Macarthur FC after a scathing post-game address in which he described the Australia Cup winners as a “pub team”.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that the dressing room spray, reminiscent of the infamous “hairdryer” treatments Yorke copped in his own playing days under Sir Alex Ferguson, was the catalyst for a “mutual” parting of ways after just seven months as head coach.
The announcement comes less than a day after a 1-0 loss to Adelaide United on Friday, the Bulls’ sixth loss from 13 matches this season.
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Sources who spoke to the Herald on the condition of anonymity, said the speech was delivered to the entire travelling squad, with CEO Sam Krslovic and chairman Gino Marra also present.
Individual players were said to have been singled out, with Yorke reportedly referencing what he sees as a “substandard culture” across multiple levels of the game in Australia.
Chairman Marra was said to have intervened at one point during the spray, as Yorke set his sights on the levels of professionalism within the playing group, as well as in Australian football broadly.
The club released a statement on Saturday night confirming a contract termination had been reached to allow Yorke to “pursue other opportunities”.
Approached by media on Sunday, Marra declined to comment.
“We won’t be commenting on the circumstances of the mutual agreement reached between the club and Dwight Yorke on Saturday,” he said.
“I would like to thank Dwight Yorke and his assistant Russell Latapy for their contribution towards our club, and in particularly, Dwight leading Macarthur to our first silverware in our 2022 Australia Cup triumph.”
Yorke meanwhile released a statement thanking club hierarchy while declaring: “I leave the football club with a great team that will continue to challenge for more silverware.”
Yorke’s departure has sparked rampant speculation across the league that the Trinidadian will join league heavyweights Sydney FC, where manager Steve Corica is under significant scrutiny, languishing in tenth on the ladder.
Speaking on the free-to-air broadcast of Saturday’s match between Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City, former Socceroo Scott McDonald said “he doesn’t leave if he doesn’t have another job.”
Corica and Yorke were teammates in the Sydney FC side that won the inaugural A-League title in 2006.
– with NCA Newswire
