Ten Football Ferns players have reportedly written letters of complaint to their national body over the team culture and environment under coach Andreas Heraf.
NZME reports the New Zealand Football board met last night to discuss the apparent groundswell of discontent within the national women's team, after their recent tour to Spain and one-off fixture against Japan in Wellington this month.
NZF has confirmed it received a letter from the NZ Professional Footballers Association (NZPFA) with complaints from the national team players and is now reviewing those protests "as a matter of priority".
The Football Ferns lost 3-1 to the former World Cup champions, with Heraf fielding an ultra-defensive formation that was never likely to really threaten their rivals. They converted one set-piece opportunity, but mainly put players in front of the ball to limit damage.
Afterwards, Heraf, who is also New Zealand Football technical director, claimed New Zealand lacked the resources to compete with superpowers like Japan and adopted his conservative approach to avoid an 8-0 drubbing.
Last week, NZF chief executive Andy Martin endorsed Heraf, and denied any rift between the coach and his players.
But former Football Ferns Abby Erceg and Katie Duncan have also spoken out against their former coach and his very un-Kiwi approach to the game.
"I don't believe he's the right person for the job," Duncan told Newshub.
New Zealand Football is also believed to have disregarded a report from a staff member, highlighting concerns during the Spanish trip.
Newshub.
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