Ex-Football Ferns coach Tom Sermanni backs Beverley Priestman as new New Zealand coach after Fifa ban

Ex-Football Ferns coach Tom Sermanni reveals his top candidates to replace Jitka Klimkova. Photo / Richard Dale, NZ Herald

Former Football Ferns coach Tom Sermanni is backing Beverly Priestman – who was caught spying on New Zealand at the Olympics – as the new national team boss.

The Canada women’s coach received a one-year ban by Fifa after allegedly authorising staff members to fly drones over New Zealand’s training sessions before their opening match in Paris 2024.

Sermanni, who coached the Kiwis from 2018-2021, told the Herald that, despite the act, Priestman has ideal attributes to lead the Ferns in their next World Cup cycle.

“She’s been in New Zealand, she knows the landscape, the people, the culture, the players and she’s been involved in the Canada system, which is admittedly a bigger scale,” he said.

“She ticks all of those boxes.”

Earlier this month, following an independent review commissioned by Canada Soccer, the national governing body said Priestman and the other two individuals currently suspended by Fifa would not return. In July, Priestman apologised and accepted accountability.

Beverly Priestman. Photo / Getty Images

Experienced Scottish mentor Sermanni, who is the current interim coach for the Australian Matildas, believes Priestman’s punishment for the act was extreme.

“It just happened to be the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong tournament,” he continued.

“Had that happened somewhere else at some [other] time, it probably wouldn’t have created the hysteria that it did. [I’m] not condoning those things but I think the punishment exceeded the crime in this case.”

He hoped New Zealand Football (NZF) could look past the recent incident and seriously consider the British national for the Ferns head coach role.

“Bev is a very good person and she’s an excellent coach. She runs good programmes. She’s been dedicated to the women’s game, I’d be very disappointed if the drone thing doesn’t go away and she [doesn’t] get herself back in the game.”

Tom Sermanni, former Football Ferns coach. Photo / Getty Images

Priestman led the Canada women’s national team to gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She is also a former assistant of England’s Lionesses.

Sermanni said the British coach is suitable for the Ferns given her strong Kiwi ties as NZF’s former head of football between 2009-2013. She’s also married to Emma Humphries, a former Football Ferns midfielder.

“It’s helpful if someone comes and understands how the Kiwis work. I see a lot of connection between the Kiwis, the Canadians and the Australians – there are all very similar characteristics within those teams. Whoever comes in and takes over, it’s important to be able to tap into the things that make it work best with the actual Kiwi players.”

Michael Mayne current New Zealand interim head coach. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand senior women’s national team is on the hunt for a new coach after Jitka Klimkova resigned as the Football Ferns head coach in September, leaving her seven-year contract early following a third-party independent employment investigation.

Eleven players told the Herald last month about issues within the group that had been ongoing for more than two years. They also expressed concerns to the sport’s national body over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a player by outgoing coach Klimkova.

Sermanni, who took on the role in 2018, understands the challenges any new coach will face succeeding Klimkova. The Scot replaced Andreas Heraf (2017-18), who was suspended following player complaints about the environment and culture.

His advice to whoever succeeded Klimkova should address from the get-go how the team would operate moving forward.

“One of the first things to say to the players is ... How you’re going to manage and what your expectations are within that. Then the key thing, as with any management, is being consistent in those things.

Sermanni said New Zealand assistant and current interim coach Michael Mayne should also be a top candidate.

“Michael’s been in the system, he knows the players and he did very well at the Olympics. He seems to have a good relationship with the players.

“He certainly should be somebody that comes very much into consideration. Often countries make a mistake by overlooking domestic options.”

Meanwhile, Sermanni ruled out former Australian coach Tony Gustavsson – who led the Matildas to the World Cup semifinals in 2023 – as the next Ferns gaffer.

“Tony’s not going to take a job in New Zealand.

“I think it’d be a mistake just to go and bring in a perceived name coach who just comes in and works with the national team and does nothing else. They have to be invested in the game and in the country.”

Tony Gustavsson, former Matildas coach. Photo / Getty Images

70-year-old Sermanni said he won’t be putting his hand up for the role given he’s at the end of his career.

“It needs someone probably a bit younger and a bit more dynamic at this stage.”

Regardless of who gets the job, Sermanni is confident the Ferns will bounce back after this recent turbulent cycle.

“I think most teams are quite resilient and particularly teams like the Ferns, they tend to get over things quite quickly .. .Even at the Olympics, I thought they performed really well.”

The Herald understands NZF will look to replace Klimkova in the New Year. The team haven’t played since the Paris Games and won’t again until 2025.

Following Klimkova’s resignation in September, NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell told Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine it wanted someone to fit the current structures.

“What I’m not keen to do is throw the baby out with the bath water and that’s what – to be quite frank – we’ve got a history of doing,” Pragnell said.

When asked by the Herald about the potential candidates for the full-time role of Football Ferns head coach, a spokesperson said: “New Zealand Football are undertaking campaign planning toward the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2027 for the Football Ferns to put the team in the best place to qualify for, win games, and progress out of the group in 2027.”

They said recruitment would be finalised once this campaign planning process is complete and could not comment on potential candidates for the head coach role.

Scheduling for 2025 fixtures is also under way.

Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast, and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.