September 13, 2024 • 16 mins
The tumultuous reign of Jitka Klimkova has come to an end.
In her time as coach the Football Ferns achieved a groundbreaking win over Norway, but aside from that success her tenure was filled with many failures and controversies.
NZF CEO Andrew Pragnell joined Piney to discuss what has led to her departure.
“At the end of the day, she's put it in pretty hard yards. She's achieved some things we've never achieved before, she's transitioned the team in a way that we haven't seen over the past ten years, and she feels her time's up.”
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It was announced yesterday morning that Football Ferns coach Yitka
Klimkova has stood down permanently from the role, three years
into her six year contract. That brings to an end
of fairly curious period. Yit Ka Klumkova took a temporary
leave of absence for the team's two matches against Japan
in late May and early June while an investigation was
(00:33):
concluded in relation to an employment matter. That announcement was
made just days before the first of those two games.
Assistant Michael Mayne took interim charge. On the eighth of June,
it was announced that investigation had concluded and yet Ka
Klumkova would return as head coach with immediate effect. But
in late June it was announced the Football Ferns would
(00:55):
go to the Paris Olympics without her after she opted
to stand down for the tournament. New Zealand Football said
in a statement at that time that it was due
to concerns in relation to the team vironment. Yetka clumcove
is well being and a restorative process having not been completed,
so it would not be the right time for her
to return. Michael Maine was again handed the reins for
(01:18):
the Paris Olympics, and then yesterday the news that Yitka
Climkova has stood down permanently from the role as Football
Fern's head coach. New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell is
with us. Andrew, thanks for taking the time this afternoon.
What has happened here.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Good at Tony and thanks for having me. Look, Ultimately,
Yika has chosen to resign. So that's after three years
at the helm. I mean, there's been obviously a bit
of disruption the team as of late, but I think
when we step back from that and we kind of
look at her tenure, there's been some incredible success along
the way.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
To what were the reasons for her deciding to stand down?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Ultimately, I mean, I think that's for her to speak
to in terms of you know, I don't think it's
right that I would speak on her behalf, but I
think said at the end of the day, she's put
it in pretty hard yards. She's achieved some things we've
never achieved before. She's transitioned the team in a way
that we hadn't seen her the part of ten years,
and she fills her times up. Hey, she know, Andrew, Yeah,
(02:21):
I said this is a good one. I'm glad you
asked that because I think there's obviously different views on that.
I think there's a couple of things that we need
to do when we look at us tenure, as you
should do with every coach, and the first thing is
have a look in the review mirror and take a
few steps back, because for more than thirty years we've
been trying to get a win at a Woman's World Cup.
(02:43):
The reality is she made a breakthrough that we haven't
been able to make as her leadership. That did it.
I know there's a lot of commentary on her win
loss record. It's pretty consistent with previous coaches. I think that.
I also think there's a little bit of I think
we need to clarify as well. From our end, our
focus is really on the Women's World Cut results. You know,
(03:07):
she chose to you know, she chose to play top
twenty teams in the build up to that Woman's World
Cup because she thought that's what would get us some results.
And you know that impacted the win loss record ultimately,
but it did get us to a place we haven't
been before. I think when we look back, we'll look
back obviously the ones will cut with real mixed feelings.
(03:29):
It's all very well to win the first game changed
the course of the woman's will cut, but there's no
doubt they want to get out of the group. And
often your resultant feelings are based on your last game.
So that's that's one thing that I don't think we
should ever take from here. But the one that I
think will be genuinely longer lasting is the transition of
the team. So if we step back again, we look
(03:50):
at the ferns over the last ten years, I think
we'd be right to acknowledge there hasn't been any true
until yet has come along true transition of the team.
We haven't had a professional pathway up till recently. It's
meant that you know a very few group of players.
Let players accumulated literally hundreds of gaps. I don't think
(04:12):
that was necessarily a healthy thing to do, and yet
could transitioned it. She didn't, And some people would say
she should have transitioned it faster, But at the end
of the day, she basically bought him eighteen new players,
introduced ten new players to Woman's will cup certainly a
bigger transition than any coach in the history of the
football firms. So I don't think we should take those
from and and she goes. She gives us good wishes
(04:33):
from outside.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Did you try to convince her to stay?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
It's a great question as well. Look, I think that ultimately,
you know, these things should come from the heart. She's
a good person. She waged it up. I think she's
given her all one hundred percent. She's been incredibly proud,
she's got you know, she's a key with check at
the end of the day, she's been here. For those
(04:58):
that know her history, she's ten years prior to has
been involved in our age group size, She's been in
an out and out. I feel like she'd given everything
to put it hard and so into it, and the
team isn't a better place for it, although I appreciate
it may not seem like it at times as well,
but that transition should not be understated.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Was this player driven?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
That's a good question. I think I always say we
can talk about player voice, and you know what what
do the players? I always say, And the score of
twenty three people there's twenty three different views. I would
say we've got some pretty diverse views amongst the score.
We've still got transitions happening. There's wide public sentiment on
again as to whether it should be happening faster or not.
(05:41):
I think I think it'll be fair to say there's
there's some players obviously who weren't yelling. There's some players
who were so Look, I think there's a player dynamic
that's always complex. Was a player driven players have an
impact in this without doubt?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Another way of asking it, I guess what's their discontent
among large parts of the playing group with yeah, Kirklumkover
as head coach.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I think that there were challenges around communication style. I
think there are certainly players who weren't jelling, you know,
in that instance. But I also think that there were
also players who thought you'd bought penny energy, done things
we've never done before. Given a whole of the new players,
(06:29):
new caps, and so I think it's better to describe
her as being real diverse views in playing group there.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Just on the circumstances around the investigation into into an
employment matter, I don't want to know. I know you
can't tell me what it was temporary leave of absence.
She didn't take the team to Spain to play Japan
in late May and early June, but then it was
announced the investigation that concluded she'd return with immediate effect.
Was it your intent that she would take the Ferns
(06:56):
to the Olympic Games at that.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Point, yes, it was, yeah, so I think, and I'll
speak to a bit as you know, Pliny, but employment
matters always tricky in terms of observing both employment war
and was rights to confidentiality. But yes, we did an
employment independent employment investigation. There was nothing in that investigation
that told me that she was not fit to be coach.
(07:20):
We were closely with the players Association and felt that
it was right for her to be returning and that
actually a bit a restorative process would enable that to happen.
At the end of the day, I still felt there
was some pretty still disruption in that playing environment. I
was concerned for her coming into that environment. It was
(07:41):
going to be too quick and you know, prioritize the yes,
the team in terms of and from we had as
minimized minimize the to us disruption going to the team.
So you know, that's how it played out. And you know,
that is what it is.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So it's just that. So she came back at the
at the end of the employment investigation found there was
nothing to see here, so that was fine. We put
that behind us, But there was still a reluctance on
your part to re introduce her into the team environment.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah. Look, I think when we kind of tested the water,
so to speak, and got a gauge of it, I
was worried that there would be enormous disruption in the
team environment ultimately, and that applied to both in terms
of her re engaging it, but also also the wider
playing group. So on balance, you know, we talked that
(08:32):
through with her and she agreed, actually this was the
right not the right time to be stepping.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
In, and so here we are now. So were you
confident though, that beyond the Olympic game she still could
rejoin the environment.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Yeah. Look, I think believe it or not. Relatively kind
of relaxed approach in terms about how this could work.
But ultimately, you know, we're at a pretty exciting period
in the game right now. We've got about to have
two women's professional side theres of next year. We've got
some of the most exciting young players with you know years,
(09:09):
you know well the Macy's in the middles of the
world entering the NWSL, players like Kate Taylor going up
into Europe. There's a really really exciting young squad You've
had a big hand in introducing. You know, She's given
everything that she could. I think I think she could
have I think she could have gone on. But on balance,
I feel like energy guys thrown her heart and solid
(09:32):
it and the right time is now for someone had
come in and pick up a bit of focus and
make sure we get the planning right for twenty twenty
seven as well. Make sure we've got a really robust,
like the All Whites do now, incredibly robust campaign plan
that sets them up to get out of the group
in twenty twenty seven. But we've got her first win
in thirty years of trying. The next goal absolutely is
(09:52):
get out of the group and make sure this team
keeps progressing.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
The release also said yet Ker will remain working for
New Zealand Football for the next six months, supporting the
high performance department and national team activity. What will that
work convolve.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Three or four big things. I think first and foremost,
we've got a huge amount of international activity going on.
This week alone, we've had four international teams playing traveling
mover including I Mont just chip in if you don't mind.
Footsoo Whites teeing off tomorrow at the Footsball World Cup.
First ever game FIFA Bluss versus Livia. Huge amount of
(10:31):
international activity that includes now we've got under seventeens playing
annual WILL qualifiers and hopefully World Cups provided they qualify.
So she was in Columbia supporting our under twenties. We're
next next month, we've got our under seven eens going
to another World Cup in the Dominican Republic, and equally
(10:54):
making sure we get campaign planning right. So this weeking
enter the next few months with some really robust campaign planning.
And what I'm not keen to do is throw the
baby out with the bath water. And that's what to
be quite Frank got a history of doing, and you
know sport has a history of doing. This is a
coach moves on, a new coach comes in, completely new ideas,
(11:14):
changes everything, brings a new staff and you start from scratch.
We've actually got some really good institutional knowledge in Yeka,
in the building and team staff, in playing group. So
we're gonna involve her not as World Cups, but also
in some of that campaign planning.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
But it won't be on the grass coaching as such,
not in not with the.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Football funds, and she's not the head coach of the
Sevenenes either, but you know technical analysis and support. Sure.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Was it a mistake to offer her a six year contract.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I don't think so. I think there's a little bit
of First of the foremost, Typically we often often offer
for what we got caught with COVID in the way
the Olympics got delayed, it's kind of a mid cycle,
if you like. I think the reason for going with
(12:06):
is fundamentally, as we realize that we're going to have
to go, there's going to be have to be a
huge transition. Whoever's going to transition us at that stage
was going to have their work cut out to be
able to do that. At the end of the day,
it says no material impact on the outcome. Obviously she's
resigned regardless, But no, I actually tend to favor longer
(12:28):
term contracts in general. It depends so right like a
you could offer someone a one or two year but
they may not choose to take it.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
But were there performance triggers in it?
Speaker 3 (12:39):
There weren't performance triggers per se. But equally, like any situation,
any kind of terms of employment, when things aren't working out,
there's a conversation that's happened, that happens.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Would it be fair to say that you won't offer
the next coach a six year deal?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Well, fortunately, we're kind of not mid cycle. I think
that with twenty twenty seven and the campaign planning underway,
I think we'll probably be looking through to twenty twenty seven.
But what I would say is we're recruiting someone to
fit into a campaign plan rather than someone who is
going to come in and start planning from it, you know,
(13:17):
bring in all their own staff and start planning fresh
on their own.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Do you think that'll make it a less attractive proposition
for people? I don't know. I mean there might be
some coaches who would prefer to come in with a
clean slate.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
For example. Yeah, I think, well, I actually think you know,
football's football is pretty mercenarias you know, Piney, you'll love
this that the average tenure for an international coaches eleven months.
So there's plenty of people on the market. But as
keewis know and this is another thing we had of
(13:48):
a bit of have had a bit of history over
decades of doing football, is taking the first foreign coach
with an attractive TV. It looks bright and shiny, and
they're often finding a miss matcher or a miss cultural fit.
So look, I think that'll we put there again. There's
lots of people lining up. We've got Michael Main here
(14:09):
as an interim. Regardless, he knows the squad really well,
his solid performer, so you know, having him there and
the interim is key.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Is that what happened with Yaka shiny Cev but didn't
turn out to be the right fid.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I don't think so. I think at the end of
the day, Yaka I had a pro license, she'd won
won the equivalent of the what was you know the
we back in the day. She'd coached in our system,
she wasn't new to New Zealand, she'd led and run
our age group teams and had good feedback. And while
they'll be deferring views, I would say on the basis
(14:45):
of achieving something we've never achieved before, the transitioning the team,
ultimately her tenure should be regarded as a success. I
get the focus on the one last record, but I'd
probably restate that ad that's consistent with former Football Funds coaches,
but equally with you know, we could easily, let's put
(15:05):
it this way, we could easily chase down easier position
and make it look make that look comfy and cozy
and get that up. But you know, we deliberately sought
out difficult games for her, and she sought them out
herself because we were focused on results at the Women's
Worll Cup, and ultimately that will be what we judge
(15:25):
twenty twenty seven on and the goal there will be
to get out of the group not fair point.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
So just to finish, what is your timeline and process
for recruiting her replacement?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I think immediately we've made a decision not to play
the October window. We're weighing up November. But ultimately it's
the critical thing of getting this campaign planning right. We've
got a brilliant plan for the All Whites that the team,
the players, the whole organization's really proud of and we're
looking forward to seeing seeing that paced dividends. So we'll
(15:55):
actually embark on the planning first, you know, So there's
no immediate rush to get this out to market. We
may begin in the new year, but right now campaign
planning and learning the lessons of the last three and
four years as a focus.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Andrew appreciate your time and you're and your honesty really though,
thanks thanks for taking air.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Call Jess Bidy and watch those footsool wite tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
I definitely will be done to worry about that. Andrew Pregnant,
CEO of New Zealand Football.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It was announced yesterday morning that Football Ferns coach Yitka
Klimkova has stood down permanently from the role, three years
into her six year contract. That brings to an end
of fairly curious period. Yit Ka Klumkova took a temporary
leave of absence for the team's two matches against Japan
in late May and early June while an investigation was
(00:33):
concluded in relation to an employment matter. That announcement was
made just days before the first of those two games.
Assistant Michael Mayne took interim charge. On the eighth of June,
it was announced that investigation had concluded and yet Ka
Klumkova would return as head coach with immediate effect. But
in late June it was announced the Football Ferns would
(00:55):
go to the Paris Olympics without her after she opted
to stand down for the tournament. New Zealand Football said
in a statement at that time that it was due
to concerns in relation to the team vironment. Yetka clumcove
is well being and a restorative process having not been completed,
so it would not be the right time for her
to return. Michael Maine was again handed the reins for
(01:18):
the Paris Olympics, and then yesterday the news that Yitka
Climkova has stood down permanently from the role as Football
Fern's head coach. New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell is
with us. Andrew, thanks for taking the time this afternoon.
What has happened here.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Good at Tony and thanks for having me. Look, Ultimately,
Yika has chosen to resign. So that's after three years
at the helm. I mean, there's been obviously a bit
of disruption the team as of late, but I think
when we step back from that and we kind of
look at her tenure, there's been some incredible success along
the way.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
To what were the reasons for her deciding to stand down?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Ultimately, I mean, I think that's for her to speak
to in terms of you know, I don't think it's
right that I would speak on her behalf, but I
think said at the end of the day, she's put
it in pretty hard yards. She's achieved some things we've
never achieved before. She's transitioned the team in a way
that we hadn't seen her the part of ten years,
and she fills her times up. Hey, she know, Andrew, Yeah,
(02:21):
I said this is a good one. I'm glad you
asked that because I think there's obviously different views on that.
I think there's a couple of things that we need
to do when we look at us tenure, as you
should do with every coach, and the first thing is
have a look in the review mirror and take a
few steps back, because for more than thirty years we've
been trying to get a win at a Woman's World Cup.
(02:43):
The reality is she made a breakthrough that we haven't
been able to make as her leadership. That did it.
I know there's a lot of commentary on her win
loss record. It's pretty consistent with previous coaches. I think that.
I also think there's a little bit of I think
we need to clarify as well. From our end, our
focus is really on the Women's World Cut results. You know,
(03:07):
she chose to you know, she chose to play top
twenty teams in the build up to that Woman's World
Cup because she thought that's what would get us some results.
And you know that impacted the win loss record ultimately,
but it did get us to a place we haven't
been before. I think when we look back, we'll look
back obviously the ones will cut with real mixed feelings.
(03:29):
It's all very well to win the first game changed
the course of the woman's will cut, but there's no
doubt they want to get out of the group. And
often your resultant feelings are based on your last game.
So that's that's one thing that I don't think we
should ever take from here. But the one that I
think will be genuinely longer lasting is the transition of
the team. So if we step back again, we look
(03:50):
at the ferns over the last ten years, I think
we'd be right to acknowledge there hasn't been any true
until yet has come along true transition of the team.
We haven't had a professional pathway up till recently. It's
meant that you know a very few group of players.
Let players accumulated literally hundreds of gaps. I don't think
(04:12):
that was necessarily a healthy thing to do, and yet
could transitioned it. She didn't, And some people would say
she should have transitioned it faster, But at the end
of the day, she basically bought him eighteen new players,
introduced ten new players to Woman's will cup certainly a
bigger transition than any coach in the history of the
football firms. So I don't think we should take those
from and and she goes. She gives us good wishes
(04:33):
from outside.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Did you try to convince her to stay?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
It's a great question as well. Look, I think that ultimately,
you know, these things should come from the heart. She's
a good person. She waged it up. I think she's
given her all one hundred percent. She's been incredibly proud,
she's got you know, she's a key with check at
the end of the day, she's been here. For those
(04:58):
that know her history, she's ten years prior to has
been involved in our age group size, She's been in
an out and out. I feel like she'd given everything
to put it hard and so into it, and the
team isn't a better place for it, although I appreciate
it may not seem like it at times as well,
but that transition should not be understated.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Was this player driven?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
That's a good question. I think I always say we
can talk about player voice, and you know what what
do the players? I always say, And the score of
twenty three people there's twenty three different views. I would
say we've got some pretty diverse views amongst the score.
We've still got transitions happening. There's wide public sentiment on
again as to whether it should be happening faster or not.
(05:41):
I think I think it'll be fair to say there's
there's some players obviously who weren't yelling. There's some players
who were so Look, I think there's a player dynamic
that's always complex. Was a player driven players have an
impact in this without doubt?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Another way of asking it, I guess what's their discontent
among large parts of the playing group with yeah, Kirklumkover
as head coach.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
I think that there were challenges around communication style. I
think there are certainly players who weren't jelling, you know,
in that instance. But I also think that there were
also players who thought you'd bought penny energy, done things
we've never done before. Given a whole of the new players,
(06:29):
new caps, and so I think it's better to describe
her as being real diverse views in playing group there.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Just on the circumstances around the investigation into into an
employment matter, I don't want to know. I know you
can't tell me what it was temporary leave of absence.
She didn't take the team to Spain to play Japan
in late May and early June, but then it was
announced the investigation that concluded she'd return with immediate effect.
Was it your intent that she would take the Ferns
(06:56):
to the Olympic Games at that.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Point, yes, it was, yeah, so I think, and I'll
speak to a bit as you know, Pliny, but employment
matters always tricky in terms of observing both employment war
and was rights to confidentiality. But yes, we did an
employment independent employment investigation. There was nothing in that investigation
that told me that she was not fit to be coach.
(07:20):
We were closely with the players Association and felt that
it was right for her to be returning and that
actually a bit a restorative process would enable that to happen.
At the end of the day, I still felt there
was some pretty still disruption in that playing environment. I
was concerned for her coming into that environment. It was
(07:41):
going to be too quick and you know, prioritize the yes,
the team in terms of and from we had as
minimized minimize the to us disruption going to the team.
So you know, that's how it played out. And you know,
that is what it is.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So it's just that. So she came back at the
at the end of the employment investigation found there was
nothing to see here, so that was fine. We put
that behind us, But there was still a reluctance on
your part to re introduce her into the team environment.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah. Look, I think when we kind of tested the water,
so to speak, and got a gauge of it, I
was worried that there would be enormous disruption in the
team environment ultimately, and that applied to both in terms
of her re engaging it, but also also the wider
playing group. So on balance, you know, we talked that
(08:32):
through with her and she agreed, actually this was the
right not the right time to be stepping.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
In, and so here we are now. So were you
confident though, that beyond the Olympic game she still could
rejoin the environment.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Yeah. Look, I think believe it or not. Relatively kind
of relaxed approach in terms about how this could work.
But ultimately, you know, we're at a pretty exciting period
in the game right now. We've got about to have
two women's professional side theres of next year. We've got
some of the most exciting young players with you know years,
(09:09):
you know well the Macy's in the middles of the
world entering the NWSL, players like Kate Taylor going up
into Europe. There's a really really exciting young squad You've
had a big hand in introducing. You know, She's given
everything that she could. I think I think she could
have I think she could have gone on. But on balance,
I feel like energy guys thrown her heart and solid
(09:32):
it and the right time is now for someone had
come in and pick up a bit of focus and
make sure we get the planning right for twenty twenty
seven as well. Make sure we've got a really robust,
like the All Whites do now, incredibly robust campaign plan
that sets them up to get out of the group
in twenty twenty seven. But we've got her first win
in thirty years of trying. The next goal absolutely is
(09:52):
get out of the group and make sure this team
keeps progressing.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
The release also said yet Ker will remain working for
New Zealand Football for the next six months, supporting the
high performance department and national team activity. What will that
work convolve.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Three or four big things. I think first and foremost,
we've got a huge amount of international activity going on.
This week alone, we've had four international teams playing traveling
mover including I Mont just chip in if you don't mind.
Footsoo Whites teeing off tomorrow at the Footsball World Cup.
First ever game FIFA Bluss versus Livia. Huge amount of
(10:31):
international activity that includes now we've got under seventeens playing
annual WILL qualifiers and hopefully World Cups provided they qualify.
So she was in Columbia supporting our under twenties. We're
next next month, we've got our under seven eens going
to another World Cup in the Dominican Republic, and equally
(10:54):
making sure we get campaign planning right. So this weeking
enter the next few months with some really robust campaign planning.
And what I'm not keen to do is throw the
baby out with the bath water. And that's what to
be quite Frank got a history of doing, and you
know sport has a history of doing. This is a
coach moves on, a new coach comes in, completely new ideas,
(11:14):
changes everything, brings a new staff and you start from scratch.
We've actually got some really good institutional knowledge in Yeka,
in the building and team staff, in playing group. So
we're gonna involve her not as World Cups, but also
in some of that campaign planning.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
But it won't be on the grass coaching as such,
not in not with the.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Football funds, and she's not the head coach of the
Sevenenes either, but you know technical analysis and support. Sure.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Was it a mistake to offer her a six year contract.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I don't think so. I think there's a little bit
of First of the foremost, Typically we often often offer
for what we got caught with COVID in the way
the Olympics got delayed, it's kind of a mid cycle,
if you like. I think the reason for going with
(12:06):
is fundamentally, as we realize that we're going to have
to go, there's going to be have to be a
huge transition. Whoever's going to transition us at that stage
was going to have their work cut out to be
able to do that. At the end of the day,
it says no material impact on the outcome. Obviously she's
resigned regardless, But no, I actually tend to favor longer
(12:28):
term contracts in general. It depends so right like a
you could offer someone a one or two year but
they may not choose to take it.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
But were there performance triggers in it?
Speaker 3 (12:39):
There weren't performance triggers per se. But equally, like any situation,
any kind of terms of employment, when things aren't working out,
there's a conversation that's happened, that happens.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Would it be fair to say that you won't offer
the next coach a six year deal?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Well, fortunately, we're kind of not mid cycle. I think
that with twenty twenty seven and the campaign planning underway,
I think we'll probably be looking through to twenty twenty seven.
But what I would say is we're recruiting someone to
fit into a campaign plan rather than someone who is
going to come in and start planning from it, you know,
(13:17):
bring in all their own staff and start planning fresh
on their own.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Do you think that'll make it a less attractive proposition
for people? I don't know. I mean there might be
some coaches who would prefer to come in with a
clean slate.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
For example. Yeah, I think, well, I actually think you know,
football's football is pretty mercenarias you know, Piney, you'll love
this that the average tenure for an international coaches eleven months.
So there's plenty of people on the market. But as
keewis know and this is another thing we had of
(13:48):
a bit of have had a bit of history over
decades of doing football, is taking the first foreign coach
with an attractive TV. It looks bright and shiny, and
they're often finding a miss matcher or a miss cultural fit.
So look, I think that'll we put there again. There's
lots of people lining up. We've got Michael Main here
(14:09):
as an interim. Regardless, he knows the squad really well,
his solid performer, so you know, having him there and
the interim is key.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Is that what happened with Yaka shiny Cev but didn't
turn out to be the right fid.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I don't think so. I think at the end of
the day, Yaka I had a pro license, she'd won
won the equivalent of the what was you know the
we back in the day. She'd coached in our system,
she wasn't new to New Zealand, she'd led and run
our age group teams and had good feedback. And while
they'll be deferring views, I would say on the basis
(14:45):
of achieving something we've never achieved before, the transitioning the team,
ultimately her tenure should be regarded as a success. I
get the focus on the one last record, but I'd
probably restate that ad that's consistent with former Football Funds coaches,
but equally with you know, we could easily, let's put
(15:05):
it this way, we could easily chase down easier position
and make it look make that look comfy and cozy
and get that up. But you know, we deliberately sought
out difficult games for her, and she sought them out
herself because we were focused on results at the Women's
Worll Cup, and ultimately that will be what we judge
(15:25):
twenty twenty seven on and the goal there will be
to get out of the group not fair point.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
So just to finish, what is your timeline and process
for recruiting her replacement?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
I think immediately we've made a decision not to play
the October window. We're weighing up November. But ultimately it's
the critical thing of getting this campaign planning right. We've
got a brilliant plan for the All Whites that the team,
the players, the whole organization's really proud of and we're
looking forward to seeing seeing that paced dividends. So we'll
(15:55):
actually embark on the planning first, you know, So there's
no immediate rush to get this out to market. We
may begin in the new year, but right now campaign
planning and learning the lessons of the last three and
four years as a focus.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Andrew appreciate your time and you're and your honesty really though,
thanks thanks for taking air.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Call Jess Bidy and watch those footsool wite tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
I definitely will be done to worry about that. Andrew Pregnant,
CEO of New Zealand Football.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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