All Whites coach Fritz Schmid snubbed by Wellington Phoenix at Eden Park

All Whites football coach Fritz Schmid. Photo / Doug Sherring.

All Whites coach Fritz Schmid has no issue with seemingly being snubbed by Wellington Phoenix at their big home game against Melbourne Victory at Eden Park on February 15.

Schmid was left off the guest list for the event, and did not receive a complimentary VIP ticket which would have allowed him to network within the corridors of power at Eden Park alongside a number of Oceania's football's movers and shakers during the evening.

Instead he and women's national team coach Tom Sermani had to rely on New Zealand Football's acting technical director Andy Boyens buying them a couple of public grandstand tickets.

That's despite Schmid and Sermani both speaking at a promotional $80-a-head "Huawei Business FC Business Breakfast" earlier in the day, run in conjunction with Wellington Phoenix.

Not that Schmid is complaining at having to slum it in the stands.

He took no offence at going through the full Eden Park fan experience.

"There is nothing wrong with being in the grandstand every now and then," Schmid said. "You get the feeling of the fans, the atmosphere, and how they are taking things. It's always nice to be there.

"I was sitting near the middle of the pitch and had a good view of the whole game, so there was nothing to complain about."

But isn't it a calculated insult not to offer the national coach a VIP pass at the biggest game of the season in his hometown?

"I don't always expect VIP treatment and it was communicated that we had to pay for tickets.

"The fact is the Phoenix had somehow outsourced the hosting, which meant the organisation, administration, ticketing, everything was not completely in their hands."

Schmid said the Phoenix had plenty of other things to think about.

"It's not always your first concern to make sure the national coach has got his box office ticket."

It worked out reasonably well for him.

"Sometimes it's good to get the feeling of standing in front of the stadium an hour beforehand like the fans have to.

"I met with other people accidentally. I met with (New Zealand) board members also trying to get access to the stadium. I went and grabbed a coffee and heard the debates of the fans."

He was also happy to be recognised by some fans in the grandstand.

"You have a chat here, you have a chat there.

"I also had an opportunity to check on the cricket game going on at the back of Eden Park. Someone made the effort to try to explain the game to me, because I am a complete stranger to it.

"But I had to tell him after two minutes, 'ah, let's forget it, maybe another time.'

"So it's all good."

At the earlier business breakfast Schmid, Sermani and Phoenix coach Mark Rudan had spoken on strategies for setting up winning teams and cultures, and lessons and techniques that could be applied in both sporting and business contexts.

In this regard Schmid now has more life lessons he can call upon.

Meanwhile Schmid was pleased to have been able to speak earlier with Rudan.

"He is head coach of the professional club in the country and a very important contact."

He even excused Rudan's post-match outburst in which he publicly savaged the relationship between Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand Football.

"That is what you are supposed to do when you strive for performance. When you want to achieve goals, that's where you take best practice as a reference.

"You can achieve certain results - but you always want to go for more. I think he has made his points."