Ferns coach’s style ‘direct’

Football Ferns coach Andreas Heraf rejects suggestions an unprofessional culture is developing in his team.

Multiple players have voiced their concerns to Stuff, with one prepared to go on the record until New Zealand Football and the New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association intervened.

The coach was responding after a remarkable series of developments, in which a player initially spoke out on her concerns about the team culture; was backed up by other players off the record; but then sought to retract her comments. The PFA, after being contacted by NZF, cautioned her there could be a hefty fine for speaking out, and were apparently concerned not to have the shine taken off this week’s landmark announcement of equal pay.

Their concerns centre around a camp in Spain in March in which the Ferns lost 2-0 twice to Scotland.

The players speaking out were concerned with what they considered was a lack of professionalism throughout the camp.

One said she thought it was the least professional environment she had ever been part of. She said the camp was terrible, and the team was left in a sorry state by the end of it.

Yesterday, Heraf rejected the claims and said it might be a case of players disappointed about their gametime during the window.

‘‘That makes me a little bit sad because I have a good relationship with all the girls. I love all of them, fantastic girls, fantastic players, it’s a real joy to work with them,’’ the Austrian said.

‘‘I can imagine, women’s football, you know compared in to men’s football, you have players already with 100, 120, 130 caps, which is much more than in men’s football, and of course if you have played 70, 80, 90, 100 caps and there is a change in an environment and suddenly you are not the starter or maybe you are played in a different position, but I can imagine that’s the reason maybe some of them are disappointed or upset to tell about bullying or something like that.’’

Heraf said his coaching and communication style was ‘‘direct’’ and maybe some players weren’t used to that.

When asked if any players had voiced concerns directly to him, he said ‘‘not really’’, reiterating the point some players might not have liked the change in environment.

After one player went on the record to Stuff with specific allegations, Stuff contacted NZF for its response.

Within an hour, the player had retracted her comments.

Suggestions that all was not well in the women’s team came while NZF was still basking in the positive publicity it gained from its announcement of a landmark deal, to pay women players the same as men.

After learning of the player’s comments to Stuff, both NZF and the players’ association were apparently unhappy at the prospect of negative publicity taking the gloss off that story.

Stuff has learned that NZF immediately talked to the PFA about the comments, and the PFA then talked to the player to remind her that the lauded new collective bargaining agreement also included provision to fine players who made negative public comments which brought NZF into disrepute. It’s understood that the fine could be in the thousands of dollars.

The player then contacted Stuff to say she was retracting her comments.

NZPFA chief executive Harry Ngata said his organisation had not received formal notification of any of the issues highlighted.

‘‘We haven’t had any direct description or areas of concern that would warrant a review or interaction with New Zealand Football.

‘‘It was the first one for Andreas, they had the tour of Thailand that was successful and this one wasn’t as successful. It’s his first tour and there are always going to be teething issues and things he wants to implement that the girls need to get their heads around.

‘‘If there are any concerns, which I’m sure we’ll get to hear in due course, but if you’re asking me right now about concerns there aren’t any from our end.’’

NZPFA board member Sarah Gregorius was on the tour as a player and Ngata said she had not reported any concerns. ‘‘She hasn’t come back and gone guys we need to address this, this and this.

‘‘There is the usual teething stuff with players getting to know Andreas, Andreas getting to know players, what works, what doesn’t.’’

Heraf joined NZF as technical director in late August after being announced as Rob Sherman’s replacement in April 2017.

He arrived after working for nine years in the Austrian Football Association, coaching a variety of age-group teams.

His initial remit did not include the Football Ferns role, but he took over on an interim basis when former coach Tony Readings resigned in November. He coached the team to a 0-0 draw and 5-0 win over Thailand later that month, before being appointed on a full-time basis in December.