Head Coach Jitka Klimkova has stated that she is ‘90% certain’ to return for a second season of Westfield W-League football after guiding Canberra United to the 2011/12 Premiership and Grand Final.
Head Coach Jitka Klimkova has stated that she is ‘90% certain- to return for a second season of Westfield W-League football after guiding Canberra United to the 2011/12 Premiership and Grand Final.
After a successful first year in charge Klimkova is keen to continue the good work she has done with the club but there are a number of details to be finalised before she will put pen to paper for a second year.
Top of that list is a ‘home- base for the club after their nomadic existence in 2011/12. Capital Football CEO Heather Reid is already on the ball as far is this is concerned having held preliminary discussions with the FFA and the AIS for the famous sporting Institute to house United on a permanent basis.
“The importance of a permanent training centre cannot be under-estimated,” Reid commented. “Therefore we are in negotiations with the AIS to form a partnership that will enable Canberra United to set-up a home at the Institute out of the Women-s Football office there. This partnership would see the club being able to access the pool for recovery sessions, the dining room for meals and high quality training fields as well as storage space for equipment.”
According to Reid Matildas Coach Tom Sermanni and the FFA are supportive of the proposed initiative that would help United retain the services of Kilmkova for 2012/13.
“We are very hopeful that the arrangements will take place and that they will benefit not only Canberra United, but the AIS and Australian Women-s Football,” Reid commented. “The AIS men-s team will take part in our ROCK Premier League competition this season and the possibility that Canberra United will set up a home at the AIS is a natural progression of that partnership.”
Klimkova herself was positive when discussing her possible future with Canberra United.
“Of course I would like to come back for a second season,” she said. “It does, however, depend on a couple of issues with which I have had discussions with Heather Reid. What I really want is better conditions for the players and that means having a home base from where we can train and prepare properly rather than having to go all around Canberra searching for venues. The proposed partnership with the AIS would solve most of those problems.”
Canberra United face Brisbane Roar in the Westfield W-League 2012 Grand Final this Saturday, 18th January, at McKellar Park, Belconnen with kick off at 3pm.
