Jitka Klimková

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]

Jitka Klimková

Personal information
Full name	Jitka Klimková[1]
Date of birth	(1974-08-20) 20 August 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Kyjov, Czechoslovakia
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Czech Republic (manager)
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
2025–	Czech Republic
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Biography

During her playing career she played for Sokol Čejč, Slávia Holíč and DFC Compex Otrokovice in the Czech Women's First League. 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]

On 21 January 2025, Klimková was appointed head coach of the Czech Republic women's national football team, signed two-year contract with option.^[14]