The New Zealand Football Association has apologized to the women’s team for their passivity in dealing with the allegations against ex-coach Andreas Heraf .
Wellington (SID) – The New Zealand Football Association has officially apologized to the players of its women’s national team for its passivity in dealing with the allegations against former coach Andreas Heraf . “We apologize to our players for the behavior of our former head coach and we are very sorry that these events took place and caused an emergency,” said NZF President Deryck Shaw .
Previously, an independent review had revealed that the bullying, harassment and intimidation allegations of many players against the Austrian coach were justified. “We should have reacted much earlier,” Shaw admitted .
Heraf had terminated his contract last July after 13 players complained about him and announced that he would no longer play under him. At that time, the coach first received the support of the association, which openly acknowledged its misjudgment. The eleven-time Austrian international Heraf had always denied the allegations.