AUCKLAND: Deryck Shaw has resigned as president of New Zealand Football after accepting he failed to deal appropriately with a bullying scandal in the national women’s team.

In July, 13 players refused to play for the team, forcing Andreas Heraf to resign as head coach and technical director. And an independent panel later concluded that the Austrian had “bullied and harassed” players.

Andy Martin, then the NZF chief, was also forced to resign and Shaw has now decided to step down.

He said: “It is appropriate that I resign from my role as president to allow football to move forward. This is my decision as the head of the organisation and it is the right thing to do.”

Shaw’s assistant Phil Barry will replace him until the next NZF congress in 2019.

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