Lost in Translation: Australian soccer legend Archie Thompson looks blank during his Racing Murcia debut after as his irate coach screams at him in Spanish
- Archie Thompson, 40, made debut for Spanish fifth-division side last weekend
- Hilarious footage showed Racing Murcia coach David Vidal yelling instructions
- Thompson could not understand the Spanish as coach told him to 'move'
- Video of Vidal getting angry with Thompson on sidelines has gone viral online
Australian soccer legend Archie Thompson desperately failed to understand his Spanish coach as he made his debut in the country's fifth division last weekend.
Hilarious footage showed Racing Murcia coach David Vidal yelling instructions at Thompson after bringing him on at 65 minutes against Abaran CF.
'Let's go Thompson, move,' the eccentric 69-year-old yelled in Spanish from the sidelines.
Australian soccer legend Archie Thompson desperately failed to understand his Spanish coach (pictured) as he made his debut in the country's fifth division last weekend
Hilarious footage showed Racing Murcia coach David Vidal yelling instructions at Thompson after bringing him on at 65 minutes against Abaran CF
'They can't find you,' he raged as Thompson plodded around the pitch failing to respond.
Vidal, who manged Villareal in the 1970s and is a cult figure in Spain known for his exuberant style, then ordered one of his staff to translate.
'I can speak Latin and Greek but I don't speak English,' he told Spanish football show El Dia Despues.
'So I have to talk through this Australian guy named Stratis who relays my message to Thompson.'
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Footage of Vidal screaming at Thompson and putting his head in his hands when the striker failed to respond was captured by cameras and went viral online.
'Let's go Thompson, run,' Vidal shouted before turning to his assistant and saying: 'Look, he is just staring.'
'Thompson doesn't understand anything.
'Tell Thompson to move,' he screamed. 'Thompson! He doesn't move'.
Footage of Vidal screaming at Thompson and putting his head in his hands when the striker failed to respond was captured by cameras and went viral online
Hilarious footage showed Racing Murcia coach David Vidal yelling instructions at Thompson after bringing him on at 65 minutes against Abaran CF
Hilarious footage showed Racing Murcia coach David Vidal yelling instructions at Thompson after bringing him on at 65 minutes against Abaran CF
After the game, which finished 0-0, Vidal said Thompson was past his prime.
'I saw him training for two hours yesterday and I played him wide of the left.
'But he did very little and it all seemed too much for him'.
After sharing the footage, SBS tweeted that Thompson 'might be playing under the most eccentric coach of his career'.
The striker replied, saying' definitely got that right'.
Thompson, who was born in New Zealand but also has an Australian passport, played for Melbourne Victory from 2005 to 2016.
After the game, which finished 0-0, Vidal said Thompson (left after arriving at the club) was not fit enough
Thompson (pictured in Spain with daughter Bella), who was born in New Zealand but also has an Australian passport, played for Melbourne Victory from 2005 to 2016
He holds the record for the most goals scored in an international after slotting 13 against American Samoa during the Socceroos' 31-0 win in 2001.
Thompson was criticised for his shoddy performance by fans on Twitter.
One asked why he bothered going to Spain and he replied: 'To be part of a long term project and create opportunities back home in Australia for kids to have a pathway... The football part was just for some exposure.'
Thompson (left with bosses) was criticised for his shoddy performance by fans on Twitter
