New Zealand coach sparks player revolt

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND Only weeks after New Zealand Football made headlines by signing a revolutionary equal pay deal with its female players, the organization is facing a mutiny by members of its women’s team against the national coach.

New Zealand Football confirmed Tuesday it had received a letter signed by a number of New Zealand players complaining about the methods and tactics employed by Austria-born coach Andreas Heraf.

The complaints follow the New Zealand team’s recent 3-1 loss at home to Japan. Heraf angered his players and fans of the Football Ferns national team by taking an entirely defensive game plan into the rare home international. Heraf then further angered his players with comments defending his approach.

He said there was a “big difference in quality” between the New Zealand and Japanese players and New Zealand “will never have that quality ” to compete with top teams like Japan. He said the score line might have been 8-0 if New Zealand had not adopted a defensive approach.

One of New Zealand’s leading players, United States-based Abby Erceg, retired after playing 132 matches for New Zealand, citing Heraf ’s approach in previous international matches.

She later told New Zealand media: “I couldn’t stand to wear that (national symbol) on my chest any more when his vision was to cower in a corner and not get beat by too much.”

New Zealand Football defended Heraf against the media and public criticism, but admitted his comments were “strange” and “wrong ” and did not accurately reflect his views. Heraf later apologized and said he had not expressed himself clearly.

The mutiny comes weeks after New Zealand gained headlines for a deal that gives female players pay parity with male counterparts.