Babbel was sacked by the Wanderers on Monday morning after a nightmare run of results.

The German filmed a classy touching exit video for the club where he paid tribute to fans, management and media in the Australian football community.

But speaking to Germany's Sport1 he was less complimentary about the standard of the football locally and match officials.

"The football level is poor," he told the German media. "Now I can say it without being punished for it.

"I had a great time at the club. What I haven't had in the past few weeks was the fun of our performance on matchday.

"There were decisions that cost us the job. There were situations when you asked yourself, 'What does the referee see?'

"The level of the games is far from being comparable to the Bundesliga."

He added: "I might have made it another year, but the referees' achievements are marginal."

He repeated his praise for the club, and continued to dismiss reports of a split with assistant Jean Paul de Marigny – now appointed caretaker coach. He falsely claimed Dom Bossi, the journalist who wrote the story in the Sydney Morning Herald, was a member of Sydney FC.

"He just tried to report polemically," claimed Babbel.

"I had a good cooperation with the TV journalists. They evaluated and analyzed the whole thing fairly and critically. And with a lot of respect, I have no problem with that either.

"I know how my job works and it's normal for me to be criticised. Only there was a print journalist who tried to hit the club extremely badly and attacked my assistant coach. That was call murder. That was not possible."

He added: "I wasn't surprised at myself. If my family, in this case my assistant, with whom I have worked very closely and trustingly, is attacked without facts, I can be completely different.

"I always try to be very polite, kind, and respectful of people, but if I get no respect back, I freak out."

Babbel also highlighted the club's youth philosophy compared to rival clubs and its effect on results.

"Maybe my assistant has that little bit of luck that I was missing," he said. "The club focuses on the youth and I went along this path. I tried my best to implement it.

"But you have to know Australian football. There are also difficulties when you look at the other teams.

"Other clubs like last year's champions Perth Glory or Melbourne Victory don't play with so many talents from the amateurs. But I hope that the path with this philosophy will continue in Sydney."

But he admitted he had his flaws and accepted his time had come to an end with Wanderers.

"I certainly made mistakes, but after a day I ask for your understanding that I am not taking stock of the big picture," he admitted.

"Only now I need some time to think about everything. Football is very different. There is the salary cap, there are other ways of getting foreigners, and I was able to help bring this young club forward...

"I got to know a lot of great people. I was treated with a lot of respect and hopefully I was able to give something back.

"We are all old enough and know how the business works and that's it. That came as no surprise. A big compliment to those responsible for trying so long to get the curve with me.

"But the results were simply missing. The path was clearly in the right direction. Such a decision is not surprising unless the points are scored. That's football."

He also says CEO John Tsatsimas was unable to look him in the eye when he finally pulled the plug on the coach's career in Australia.

"When I said goodbye, I felt a lot of emotions," said Babbel. "I noticed that I left footprints. It wasn't just a business relationship, it was more.

"And then it's just nice to get such a reaction from everyone. We all get out of this story well and clean.

"The President found it extremely difficult to inform me of the decision. He couldn't really look me in the eye.

"I had to calm him down and just said, 'John, don't worry. I know how it works.' At some point you have to pull the rip cord."

Now Babbel plans to stay in Australia for the rest of summer before returning to Germany in May.

He added: "It was clear from the start that we would go back to Germany.

"I need better football again."