Rufer: NZF wrong to look overseas

Wynton Rufer reckons some All Whites players could be disappointed by New Zealand Football’s latest coaching appointment after once again ignoring local candidates.

Rufer reinforced his opinion that Anthony Hudson’s successor should have come from within New Zealand as it would have greater benefits to the local game in the long run.

Although they will not admit it publicly, Rufer said the current players would have preferred a Kiwi coach as well. Instead, NZF ended their ‘‘global search’’ by hiring Swiss Fritz Schmid, who has worked for all three of the Super League clubs that Rufer played for during his decorated career.

‘‘I think the players will be disappointed as well. They’re not going to tell you because they’ve got enough crap to deal with at their clubs. With Chris Wood and Winston Reid they’re not going to say anything negative. But I know how they think,’’ Rufer said.

Rufer said Ramon Tribulietx ‘‘has done a great job’’ with Auckland City and deserved to be in the conversation but his preferred candidate was former All Whites defender Danny Hay, who coaches Eastern Suburbs. However, Rufer said Schmid, a ‘‘mate from way back’’, deserves as much support as possible over the next four years in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup.

Labelling the current crop as the strongest squad New Zealand has ever produced, Rufer said Schmid is a good chance of taking the All Whites to Qatar.

‘‘Now that he’s got the job it’s cool. You’ve got to support whoever is the coach,’’ he said.

‘‘We’ve got good players. We’re a good team now. The goal at the end of the day is to qualify for the World Cup.’’

Rufer spent more than a decade of his professional career in Switzerland, and played for three clubs – Zurich, Grasshopper and Aarau – where Schmid was employed as either an assistant or under-20 coach.