Jitka Klimková (born 20 August 1974) is a Czech football coach and former football player. In September 2021 she was appointed head coach of the Football Ferns, the New Zealand women's national football team.[2][3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jitka Klimková[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 20 August 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Kyjov, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1992 | Sokol Čejč | ||
| 1992–1995 | Slávia Holíč | ||
| 1995–2003 | Compex Otrokovice | ||
| International career | |||
| 2000–2001 | Czech Republic | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2004–2011 | Slovácko | ||
| 2009–2010 | Czech Republic U-19 | ||
| 2011–2013 | Canberra United | ||
| 2013–2014 | New Zealand U-17 | ||
| 2014 | New Zealand (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2017 | United States U-19 | ||
| 2017–2019 | United States U-20 | ||
| 2019–2021 | Internationals SC | ||
| 2021–2024 | New Zealand | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Biography
editDuring her playing career she played for Sokol Čejč, Slávia Holíč and DFC Compex Otrokovice in the Czech First Division. She was briefly a member of the Czech national team, playing as a defender.[4][5]
She has coached the United States women's u-20 team,[6] United States women's under-19 team, Canberra United in Australia's W-League,[7] 1.FC Slovácko, the Czech Republic women's team and Internationals Soccer Club in Ohio, USA.[8][5] In Australia, she was named Coach of the Year in the W-League in 2011-12.[9] In New Zealand, she has coached the national under-17 women’s team, including their campaign at the FIFA 2014 Under-17 Women's World Cup, and has also worked as an assistant coach with the Under-20s and the Football Ferns.[3][10][11]
Klimková is the first woman appointed to coach the Football Ferns on a full-time basis.[3]
At the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, she guided the Ferns to their first ever victory in the tournament, in a 1–0 victory over Norway in the opening match in Auckland.[12]
She stepped down from coaching the Football Ferns in 2024.[13]
References
edit- ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: New Zealand (NZL)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 19. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ "Ferns coach to take side through to 2023 Women's World Cup revealed". www.nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ a b c "Former age-group coach Jitka Klimková to take charge of Football Ferns until 2027". Stuff. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ Jitka Klimková at FAČR (in Czech)
- ^ a b "FORMER U20 NATIONAL TEAM COACH JITKA KLIMKOVA JOINS INTERNATIONALS SC • SoccerToday". SoccerToday. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Jitka Klimkova, Mark Carr hired to coach U-20 and U-17 WNTS". soccerwire.com. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ^ "Trenérka Jitka Klimková dobývá Austrálii". denik.cz (in Czech). 21 December 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Former U.S. Youth WNT coach Jitka Klimková joins Internationals SC". soccerwire.com. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ "Westfield W-League Award Winners". W-League. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Jitka Klimkova appointed as Young Football Ferns". nzfootball.co.nz. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Football: Jitka Klimková named new Football Ferns head coach ahead of 2023 World Cup". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ Hytner, Mike; Khan, Jo; Hytner (now), Mike; Khan (earlier), Jo (20 July 2023). "New Zealand 1-0 Norway: Women's World Cup 2023 Group A – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ "'Tension not a bad thing': Klimkova's Football Ferns exit sign of growth". 1News. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
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