It all happens in the banana state

[dinglinga]

Frank Farina charged with drink driving

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 40,00.html

[Il Duce]

He has been suspended indefinitely by the Brisbane Roar while they investigate

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 40,00.html

[Il Duce]

Brisbane Roar are preparing to release Frank Farina from his coaching position, and seek current Gold Coast United assistant coach Paul Okon as a replacement.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5786083369

[Il Duce]

SACKED Brisbane Roar coach Frank Farina claims he has been made the scapegoat for a troubled club.

The Roar officially announced Farina's dismissal yesterday after the former Socceroos player and coach was charged with drink-driving last Saturday morning.

Brisbane is outside the A-League's top four this season with an unenviable disciplinary record as the club with the most yellow cards. Crowd numbers are way down on previous seasons and the Roar was one of several clubs to yesterday announce it was slashing ticket prices.

"I'm the scapegoat in as much as I've done the wrong thing," Farina said. "There are processes in place, none of which were even tried. They could have fined me, given me a suspension, whatever.

"That was what was most disappointing, it has come to this. If you've done what I've done, you get sacked for that -- I think that's a little bit unfair."

Head of Queensland's Council of Civil Liberties Terry O'Gorman agreed, insisting a drink-driving infringement should not be a sackable offence.

"The penalties for drink-driving if proven in a court of law are punitive enough. Farina is effectively being punished twice. That to me is grossly unfair," O'Gorman said.

"All he's guilty of is of having made a mistake."

SBS television soccer pundit and Newcastle Jets coach Nick Theodorakopoulos backed O'Gorman's comments, calling the Farina sacking unjust.

"His sacking was a gross overreaction," he said.

Farina had been under contract until the end of the 2010-11 season.

Club chairman Chris Bombolas, a former Queensland State Labor member for Chatsworth and in the job less than six months, said the seven-member board debated Farina's fate for 2 1/2 hours on Monday before delaying the decision to sack him.

"We held off making it public out of courtesy following a request from Frank Farina," Bombolas said.

Bombolas addressed Roar players before holding an afternoon press conference at the club's Ballymore headquarters.

Former South Melbourne and Young Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has emerged as the frontrunner to take over long-term and flew to Brisbane yesterday for talks with the club.

Assistant coach Rado Vidosic will take charge in the interim.

"We are looking to see who is available and find the right person who can take us to the next step," Bombolas said. "We have a short list of three or four candidates of which Postecoglou is but one."

Postecoglou had received a call on Monday night as directors met to decide Farina's future following a second drink-driving offence in two years.

The 44-year-old Greece-born Postecoglou won two NSL titles as a player and took South Melbourne to two premierships and a FIFA World Club Challenge tournament before spending seven years in charge of the Young Socceroos.

His last coaching stint was a 10-month spell last year at Panachaiki in the Greek third division, a club then owned by Adelaide businessman Con Makris.

Others in contention for the job include Gold Coast United assistant Paul Okon and Vidosic.

Former Adelaide United and Sydney FC coach John Kosmina is not a candidate. "While I'm flattered my name has come up, I'm quite happy being back in Adelaide and working outside of football," he said. "My coaching days are behind me."