New Zealand women’s football coach quits

WELLINGTON: New Zealand women´s head coach Jitka Klimkova has quit, the national football body said Friday, having skipped the Paris Olympics after an undisclosed “employment-related matter”.

The 50-year-old former Czech Republic international took a leave of absence four weeks before the Games in the wake of an independent investigation which cleared her of any wrongdoing.

Under her assistant Michael Mayne, New Zealand lost all three of their games at the Olympics.

“This experience was a challenge and made me stronger,” Klimkova, who had been in charge since 2021 and was contracted until 2027, said in a statement.

“I believe now is the right time to step away and let another coach carry on.”

Klimkova will remain working for New Zealand Football for the next six months, supporting the high-performance department and national team.

Mayne will continue as interim head coach. Klimkova was the first woman to coach the New Zealand women´s team on a full-time basis.

The highlight of her stewardship was when the co-hosts earned their first-ever win at a Women´s World Cup by stunning former champions Norway in 2023, but they bowed out in the group stages.

The Football Ferns won 11 of 39 games under Klimkova, with 21 defeats and seven draws.

“She will forever be remembered as the coach who led us to our first ever Women´s World Cup win, a historic, game-changing moment for football in New Zealand,” said chief executive Andrew Pragnell.