It is a measure of Tom Sermanni’s character that he agrees to be interviewed by The World Game on match-day, ahead of New Zealand’s clash with Canada in Grenoble.
Most managers would refuse to speak to the press on the day of an important game, one of the few periods when they are otherwise free of media obligations until after full-time.
But affable Sermanni, with his distinctive white hair, strolls into the lobby of the team hotel with a smile on his face.
Joking with several of his players and an interloper – the Matildas’ Elise Kellond-Knight – it is clear that, despite being in the job for just less than a year, Sermanni has quickly built rapport with his squad.
“At this stage in my coaching career, the New Zealand opportunity was a pretty perfect fit,” he begins.
“I only came into the job nine months ago, but I already knew a lot of the players from my time in Australia and the United States. It wasn’t difficult to come in and settle quickly.”
New Zealand had an unfortunate start to the tournament, losing in added time to the Netherlands following a stoic defensive performance. The Ferns also fell to the Canadians several hours after the interview, but still retain hopes of progressing if they beat Cameroon in the final group E encounter.
France 2019 is Sermanni’s fourth Women’s World Cup.
Having coached Australia, the United States and now New Zealand, and spent time as an assistant with Canada, Sermanni can boast of having worked with 17% of the teams at the tournament. The veteran coach admits that this wealth of experience comes in handy.
“You take it for granted somewhat,” he reflects. “But it is beneficial in terms of relationships with the players, because they feel they have someone in charge who knows how it works, how it all happens, who’s who.”
There are drawbacks. “Sometimes it can be a double-edged sword,” Sermanni adds. “When you come up against the US, say, you know what they can do, but being able to stop them is another issue.
“Sometimes not knowing can be helpful – ignorance is bliss! But generally, I think it helps the players to know they have someone who has been here before.”
That Sermanni has coached at the pinnacle of women’s football on four occasions is made all the more remarkable given that he didn’t start out coaching the female game.
After ending his playing career with Canberra Croatia in the late 1980s, the Scotsman took over the coaching role at the then-New South Wales first division club and worked concurrently with the Australian schoolboy team.
A job at the Australian Institute of Sport followed, before Sermanni was approached with an enticing offer.
“Since I became a coach, I have never really had a plan – a direction I wanted to go in,” he explains.
“In 1993, women’s football became an Olympic sport. At the time, men’s and women’s football were run separately and women’s football was very poorly funded – it wasn’t really funded at all.
“Overnight it become eligible for government funding,” Sermanni recalls. “Women’s football went from having nothing to receiving a million dollars a year. I was approached to see whether I was interested in setting up the program.
“That was what appealed to me – the scope of the job” he muses. “I like to think I laid the groundwork for a program that is still going today.”
After three years managing the Matildas, Sermanni moved to Japan to take up an opportunity with J-League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. He then returned to Canberra with the Cosmos, and spent time in New York in the newly-professional American women’s league.
But almost a decade later, Sermanni was back at the Matildas. During his second stint, the coach led Australia to the quarter-finals of the 2007 and 2011 World Cups (still their best-ever result) and 2010 Asian Cup triumph.
“I try to stay away from the word ‘proud’ – I’m not sure if that’s the right word,” Sermanni says when asked to reflect on his tenure.
“But there is certainly a sense of satisfaction. I was very fortunate that my two spells with the Matildas were at significant times. The first time setting up the program, and the second time we moved into Asia.
“When we went into Asia we had to re-think what we were about,” he continues. “Up until that stage Australia were a competitive team – tough to play against – but we hadn’t really done anything.
“Going into Asia made World Cup qualification extremely difficult. We had to change our outlook and become a winning team.
“That started the process that saw almost all of the current Matildas come through the system. Sam Kerr at 15, Caitlin Foord at 16, KK [Kellond-Knight] at 18 or 19, Polks [Clare Polkinghorne] at 17.
“I am proud of how they have all done,” Sermanni admits. “Coming in at that stage as young up-and-coming players – to see them now as experienced professional players excelling on the world stage, that gives me a huge sense of satisfaction.”
After reminiscing about his past glories, Sermanni snaps back to the present.
Even if New Zealand progress from Group E as one of the better-ranked third-place teams, it seems unlikely the Ferns will progress deep in France.
Beyond this tournament, Sermanni is contracted through to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. What’s next? “No idea,” he retorts.
At 64, Sermanni is the oldest coach at the tournament. “I know – people keep reminding me of that,” he laughs.
“The thing about coaching – you often don’t have a choice,” Sermanni continues. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate that after 30-odd years I am still here.
“Is it my intent to retire? Probably not. Am I chasing a job, or do I have an ambition to continue long-term as a head coach? No.
“I am quite happy to be somewhere else in the game – perhaps helping development-wise or doing something else.
“But if the soccer gods think my time is up, I’ll walk away satisfied.”
