Since Tony Readings left the post in 2017, subsequent coaches have fallen short and NZF has had to part ways with them prematurely.
Andres Heraf (2017-18) was suspended during his term after players submitted letters about the coach with damning allegations about the environment and culture.
During Tom Sermanni’s tenure (2018-21), the Ferns struggled to be competitive.
Today, Klimkova (2021-24) leaves her excessive six-year contract early after an investigation was launched into her less than a year after New Zealand hosted a Fifa Women’s World Cup. That independent workplace employment investigation cleared her to lead the team at the Paris Olympics but she chose to withdraw from the event.
The year 2023 was supposed to be the beginning of a new era for the Football Ferns. Senior players were at their peak, a new wave of young talent was emerging and they had the opportunity to host a major tournament.
The potential was immense, yet NZF squandered it.
The issue began with Klimkova’s unprecedentedly long contract, with seemingly no performance clauses, which allowed NZF too much time to fix issues that should have been addressed before the Women’s World Cup.
Even at the youth level, the recent Fifa Women’s U-20 World Cup saw New Zealand’s worst results yet, reflecting a broader lack of direction in the women’s game.
You need only look at the success Australia have built since the 2023 World Cup, with their women’s team more popular than the men’s and proving they can compete with top teams.
The Matildas who reached the final four at the World Cup went on to sell out 14 consecutive home games.
While it might be a difficult ask of the Kiwi wāhine to achieve similar success, that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of striving for that.
After today’s announcement, the next steps should involve a complete overhaul – on and off the field. NZF must define its vision for the women’s game and develop a strategic plan.
New Zealand can still make significant strides and nurture world-class female players by building more talent development programmes and finding more ways to integrate age-group girls with boys.
It must also make the most of professional women’s clubs like the Wellington Phoenix and the incoming Auckland FC.
If NZF doesn’t take decisive action now, it will be left behind as women’s football evolves rapidly worldwide and Aotearoa remains stuck in the past.
