FC Basel star Scott Chipperfield and Central Coast Mariners coach Graham Arnold have been named as two people involved in the Harry Kewell saga. Melbourne radio station SEN ran a story today saying that Arnold leaked some information to Fox Sports commentator Robbie Slater about Australian national team defender Chipperfield telling Socceroos teammate Kewell to 'F**k off' and that he wasn't worthy of being a part of the Australian World Cup squad.

Kewell's agent Bernie Mandic named Chipperfield as the player who apparently said the words to Kewell whilst Arnold, then Socceroos assistant coach, as the man who provided Slater with the ammo.

Slater wrote a column in the Sunday Telegraph slamming Kewell who defended himself in a heated phone interview on soccer program Fox Sports FC earlier this week which has created plenty of headlines.

Mandic said today: "Everthing the AFL is .. soccer isn't.

"And when the hierarchy of soccer start asking questions about why soccer isn't taken seriously, it's because of people like Robbie Slater and (soccer writer) Mike Cockerill.

"In Harry's words, why must you make up things ... why should you lie about fact - when, at the end of the day, it serves no purpose.

"Robbie is entitled to have an opinion ... Harry and I have never had a go at anyone for having an opinion.

"They and they can say Harry should retire - they can say whatever they please quite frankly - but to say that a player told Harry to F- off just did not happen.

"For a player to have said Harry has no value to the Australian team .. it didn't happen.

"The player in question was, and I'll identify him, Scott Chipperfield.

"The source of the story was Graham Arnold, assistant coach to Australia. He was trying to flog this around for whatever reason ... I have no idea why they do these things.

"Have whatever opinion you like but say 'this is my opinion. Separate opinion from fact.

"Scott Chipperfield is a good bloke and he did not say that."