Another Guus Hiddink-mentored coach has come on the market as Australia prepare for an inquest into their disappointing Asian Cup campaign.

South Korean coach Pim Verbeek, who served as Hiddink's assistant when the Dutchman took the Asian nation to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, quit his post at the weekend following Korea's third-place finish at the Asian Cup.

His availability comes as Football Federation Australia get set to launch a review into the Socceroos' quarter-final exit at the Asian Cup, with the head coaching position of Graham Arnold one of the most pressing issues.

FFA chairman Frank Lowy has long maintained he wants a high-profile coach to lead the Socceroos into their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign from next year, and at the weekend admitted the "search was on", with a decision expected soon.

Dick Advocaat, a former Hiddink assistant at both Korea and Holland who coached Korea to the 2006 World Cup - with Verbeek as his deputy - is believed to be the frontrunner.

Although fellow Dutchman Verbeek, who indicated he might accept a suitable offer from an Asian team in the future, could also come into the frame.

Also likely to be included in the review will be claims from Socceroo midfielder Vince Grella that Asian opponents failed to show respect to Australia and the FFA at the Cup.

Grella told a Sydney newspaper on Sunday: "(The FFA) needs to make sure they get the respect they show others because the AFC treated us like shit and that's not good enough."

FFA officials said Monday they would speak to Grella about the comments.

"I think to be fair to Vinnie we need to sit down with him and find out exactly what it was he said, how it was said and the background to it," FFA head of commercial operations John O'Sullivan said on Monday.

"The guy bleeds for his country, so it sounds to me like the (comments) of someone's who's quite frustrated.

"But it's very hard to make any comment on it until we have a chat to him.

"But so far as the AFC goes, they've only welcomed us into the confederation, they've treated us with respect, and our membership is very important to us."

While the Socceroos failed to reach the semi-finals, their absence in the latter stages of the tournament did allow Brisbane-based referee Mark Shield to control the final, won 1-0 by Iraq over Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Lowy and FFA chief executive Ben Buckley were also in attendance for the final in Jakarta, and are expected to return this week with the review to start soon.

Meanwhile, the FFA announced Monday Ballantine's Scotch whisky had signed a three-year deal to be the official spirit partner of the A-League.

The deal will see Ballantine's give $3 million in retail and media support to the competition for 2007-08.

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