Scotsman named as new coach of Football Ferns
New Zealand Football has named Tom Sermanni as the man to usher the Football Ferns into a new era, replacing disgraced former coach Andres Heraf.
The decorated Scotsman — who most recently spent three years coaching the Orlando Pirates in the United States — has also previously coached the United States women’s national team and the Australian Matildas.
Sermanni said he was looking forward to working with the Ferns.
“I’m delighted to be given the challenge of qualifying the Football Ferns for the World Cup in France next year,” he said from Orlando.
“During my time in coaching, I’ve always had a close relationship with the team and I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to lead the programme during this exciting time.”
The 64-year-old’s first order of business will be naming the side for the OFC Nations Cup in New Caledonia next month.
It has been a difficult year for the Football Ferns after a tumultuous period that led to a wide-ranging review of NZ Football, ultimately leading to the resignation of Heraf as coach.
An independent review upheld complaints by members of the Football Ferns about the organisation’s conduct and culture, as well as issues with the leadership of Heraf and former NZF boss Andy Martin.
Interim NZ Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell said he was looking forward to a new era for the Ferns under Sermanni.
“Tom comes to New Zealand with an incredible amount of experience and we are pleased to have a coach of his calibre leading the Ferns as they look to qualify for the Fifa Women’s World Cup and compete with the best teams in the world,” said Pragnell.
“We completed a rigorous recruitment process and Tom presented a great plan and vision for the Football Ferns. We believe he will do a great job in developing the Ferns over the next nine months and we look forward to seeing what the Ferns can achieve in this period.
“It has obviously been a challenging period for the Football Ferns but following the release of the independent review, we are looking forward.”