Vidmar keeps job after attack on United

Adelaide United bosses have confirmed their full support for Aurelio Vidmar, leaving
more questions than answers about the coach's sensational post-major semi-final
outburst and the repercussions for the Reds' A-League championship challenge.
Vidmar will lead the club into next weekend's preliminary final after officials
decided not to discipline him for his extraordinary comments following the Reds' 4-0
defeat by Melbourne Victory on Saturday night.
Crowned A-League coach of the year a fortnight ago, Vidmar appeared close to
breaking point following his side's pitiful performance, launching an astonishing
post-match attack on all segments of the club and blaming "politics" for the loss.
He also managed to label Adelaide "a piss-ant town" in reference to sections of the
local soccer community he felt were trying to undermine the Reds.
Vidmar's blow-up prompted a two-hour crisis meeting on Sunday between the coach,
United's owners Nick Bianco and Dario Fontanarosa, new club chairman Mel Patzwald
and chief executive Sam Cicciarello.
Patzwald emerged to say Vidmar had the "unconditional support" of everyone at the
club, would remain as coach, and described the outcome of the meeting as "entirely
positive".
"We're delighted with the outcome of the meeting," Patzwald said.
"We're all heading forward in the same direction, Aurelio has the unconditional
support of everybody who was at that meeting and we're just looking forward to a
terrific game on Saturday."
In his outburst, Vidmar refused to name anyone specifically.
But he fingered players, officials, and even media as he vented his spleen on
"everyone involved with the club", and the politics he blamed for the Reds'
performance.
It is believed Vidmar's anger stems from his belief a small group of unhappy players
had undermined the team's championship efforts in recent weeks - taking root in the
dismal performance against the Victory.
"Things change very quickly in football clubs. If someone's not happy with
something, they do whatever they can to fracture it," Vidmar said.
"That's what they do. Whether it's jealousy or ego, whatever it is, it certainly
smacks of that at our club at this point of time."
On Sunday, Vidmar apologised if his comments about Adelaide were misconstrued,
saying he had used the term "piss-ant town" to refer to sections of the soccer
community in Adelaide rather than people and the city in general.
"My message, the 'nice' word that I used (piss-ant), was for a small minority of
football and non-football people who at this point of time are trying to fracture
the club," he said.
Vidmar will find out within the week just how much to heart the people of Adelaide
have taken that particular remark, with United's preliminary final against
Queensland Roar to be played at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Just as compelling will be whether Vidmar will be able to get his demoralised troops
rowing the same way after they were comprehensively smacked by the Victory - less
than three months after playing in the Asian Champions League final.
Politics or no politics, the Reds were abysmal against the Victory and now face a
Queensland team with an ominous build about it after cruising past Central Coast in
the minor semi-final.