The head coach of the men’s national team of Canada is an accomplished English professional football manager named John Herdman.
The Canadian coach got his start in football coaching when he was just a young student and part-time professor at Northumbria University in England.
He was the squad’s head coach for the women’s national football team of New Zealand from 2006 until 2011.
He became the first manager to have successfully guided both the national women’s and men’s teams of a country to qualify for a World Cup on March 27, 2022, the team’s first World Cup in 36 years.
Under his leadership, the team qualified for the CONCACAF Olympic tournament in Vancouver, Canada, earning one of the two berths necessary to compete in the London Olympics in 2012 and taking home the bronze medal.
John Herdman Disputation
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The Croatian publication creates a mock-up of a naked picture of a Canadian coach after John’s interview.
The Croatian supporters were upset by John’s remark that “we’re going to go and F Croatia.” During a news conference to preview the Group F match between the two teams on Sunday, Cortina supporters accused the Englishman of rudeness.
The Canadian coach acknowledged that his remarks were made in haste but refused to retract them.
On November 27, 2022, Canada will play Croatia, and a loss in this game might mean elimination.
The coach of Canada allegedly told his team to “go and “eff” Croatia” in an on-field huddle after their valiant loss to Belgium in their World Cup debut on Wednesday.
The word “eff” generated a media frenzy in Croatia since it was commonly believed to be an acronym for obscenity. One newspaper even mocked up a picture of a naked Herdman on its main page.
What Did the Football Coach from Canada Say About Croatia?
According to the Guardian, John disclosed what he had just said to his players in a post-game huddle during the interview. They are welcome here, I informed them. To avoid using a public expletive, the coach remarked, “And we’re going to go and eff Croatia.” That’s as straightforward as it gets.
According to Severa media, his remarks resonated in Zagreb as the Croatia-Canada game on Sunday drew near.
Additionally, a full-page photograph of a naked Herdman with Maple Leaf flags covering his mouth and private regions was published in Croatia’s 24 SATA (24 Hours) tabloid.
Zlatko Dalic, the coach of Croatia, used the word “respect” 13 times in 90 seconds on November 26. John also utilized comedy to ease tensions before the Croatian coach.
The Toronto Sun felt obligated to publish a Saturday front page in response to John’s issue, stating: “Our balls are bigger.”
Journey of John Herdman
He coached the national women’s teams and guided the U-20 team to the 2006 World Championship. In 2010, the U-20 World Cup was given a new name.
In 2003, John moved to New Zealand and began playing for the country’s association football team as a coach and education manager. He later became the director of football development.
The Englishman elevated the group from number 72 in the FIFA World Rankings to position 40, which was its greatest ranking, in 2021, earning the group the distinction of “Most Improved Side” of the year. Later, on February 10, 2022, he raised Canada’s position in the FIFA World Rankings to position 33.
In addition, John’s squad kept the bronze medal it won at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. At the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico, the Canadian women’s national soccer team won the gold medal.
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