There will “no shortage of interest,” according to New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell, from individuals prepared to succeed Danny Hay as All Whites head coach.
Hay’s decision not to reapply for his position after his contract expires on October 31 was made public today.
Instead, a replacement will have a role that would oversee the FIFA World Cup qualifying process in 2026.
The All Whites will qualify for the tournament in the United States if they win the Oceania group as predicted following the World Cup’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams.
With Hay in the position since 2019, his team’s contentious loss to Costa Rica prevented them from qualifying for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Hay was reportedly asked to reapply for the role but declined, according to NZ Football.
At the end of the day, he made the decision to not apply; I won’t question him about them, but I believe it’s imperative that we carefully consider some of them and ensure that we do it correctly for the upcoming cycle.
“There is no precedent for contract extensions when we haven’t qualified [for World Cups].” We obviously wanted to qualify.
“Performances are what they are right now, and we have the best single group of football talent there, or, if you want, individual talent waiting to be maximised. And I believe that some changes need to be made in order to make that environment suitable for them. It’s only right that we launch because there was a chance to test that.
Hay and the national organisation have been at odds with the team’s lack of matches, as none are scheduled until at least March 2023.
The last three years had been “an incredible delight,” Hay said in a separate statement.
Hay stated, “I’m immensely delighted to have been a part of the development and execution of a cultural framework for the All Whites that allows players and staff to connect intimately back to Aotearoa New Zealand, and each other.
Skipper Chris Wood has also previously revealed a strained relationship with New Zealand Football, including complaining that he and other senior players had not been listened to.
From the playing group, “there’s a wide variety of viewpoints,” according to Pragnell.
“The players have made one thing very clear to me: they want regular, consistent fixtures, and we’re going to start doing that in March.”
Pragnell responded, “Yeah, so I guess there are some irregularities with November,” when informed that the All Whites won’t be competing in November, a point of discontent for Hay, Wood, and the senior players.
We’ve over our budget this year, it’s not a FIFA window, and it’s the pre-World Cup release period.
The important thing is that we have enough resources for the entire World Cup cycle.
“There is a need to adjust some of the communication style, since there are some factors that plainly have an impact on performance,” continued Pragnell.
Hay’s departure is not expected to be well received by the team, as Newcastle striker Wood stated following New Zealand’s 2-0 loss to Australia in Auckland that losing him would be “an utter disaster.”
Can you imagine what he can accomplish in four years? He replied, “You can see how much he’s altered this team in twelve months.” Without a doubt, both the squad and I want him to be here. He has helped us play better football, and I believe it would be detrimental to New Zealand football if we let him go.
Hay claimed to not have heard anything regarding a contract extension from New Zealand Football at the time.
The All Whites’ staff should work more closely with NZF’s high performance division, according to recommendations made in a post-qualification campaign debrief that were also made public by NZ Football. The team should also participate in every FIFA window.
The NZ Football manager anticipates numerous applications for Hay’s position.
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