Departing Football Ferns head coach Jitka Klimková has a contribution to make as she completes her six-month notice period with New Zealand Football.
NZ Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell says while she won’t be coaching the Ferns, she has much to offer with her technical analysis and support for national teams.
Klimková’s resignation as head coach of the Ferns was announced by NZ Football on Friday September 13.
READ MORE: Jitka Klimkova stands down as Ferns coach halfway through term of contract >>>>
“What I’m not keen to do is throw the baby out with the bathwater, and that’s what, to be quite frank, we’ve got a history of doing,” Pragnell told NewstalkZB broadcaster Jason Pine in a 17-minute interview.
“Sport has a history of doing this,” Pragnell said.
“A coach moves on, a new coach comes in completely new ideas, changes everything, brings in new staff and you start from scratch.
“We’ve actually got some really good institutional knowledge in Jitka, in the building and team staff and playing group.”
Klimková was at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, supporting the New Zealand team, this month.
“At the end of the day, she’s put it in pretty hard yards. She’s achieved some things we’ve never achieved before. She’s transitioned the team in a way that we haven’t seen over the past 10 years, and she felt her time’s up,” Pragnell said.
Listen to Andrew Pragnell’s interview
This story was first published on September 15, 2024.
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