Jonas Hoffmann is originally from Germany, where he played for RB Leipzig in his youth, and for the German National team at age group level.
He came to New Zealand to travel the country and was about to travel home when a chance encounter with James Bannatyne convinced him to stay on and get involved in coaching.
His experience in New Zealand includes a time as Head Coach for Waiheke United, and Goalkeeper Coach for Auckland City FC, where he travelled with the team to the FIFA Club World Cup (USA 2025).
He has delivered Goalkeeping courses for OFC, and delivered Goalkeeper Coach Education with New Zealand Football. He works with a range of clubs throughout New Zealand in a mentoring capacity.
In Germany he worked as a goalkeeper coach for clubs including Hansa Rostock and Greifswalder FC.
Jonas has a UEFA Goalkeeper B-License, and is working on his AFC Goalkeeper A-License. He also holds an outfield UEFA B-License. His passion is supporting goalkeeping projects around New Zealand and the Oceania region. He's currently working with Eastern Suburbs AFC, East Coast Bays and OFC in Auckland.
We had a chat to Jonas about his experiences so far in Aotearoa.
What were the biggest adjustments moving to New Zealand, both in life and football?
Moving from Germany to New Zealand meant adjusting to a different pace of life and a different footballing ecosystem. In Germany everything is extremely structured, layered, and competitive from a young age. Here, the environment is more relationship‑driven and less rigid, which took some time to adapt to — but it also opened up space to be creative and flexible in my coaching. Off the pitch, the lifestyle is more relaxed, and that balance has been good for me.
How has living in New Zealand influenced your coaching style or mindset?
New Zealand has taught me to simplify without losing quality. The environments here often require you to be adaptable, resourceful, and clear in your communication. I’ve become less player and more team centered, more focused on connection, and more aware of how to get the best out of people with different backgrounds and experiences to find ways to win football games with limited resources in time and money.
Tell us about your role with INGOAL and what you're excited about at the moment.
At INGOAL I’m focused on developing goalkeepers through structured, high quality training that mirrors what’s expected in high performance environments. I’m excited about building long‑term development pathways, not just sessions, but habits, standards, and understanding of the modern game. Seeing young keepers grow into confident, intelligent decision makers is the part that motivates me most. I love supporting clubs and mentoring coaches to create better and sustainable environments for goalkeeping
What excites you about the future of goalkeeping in New Zealand?
There’s a growing awareness of how important specialised GK development and therefore GK coaches and their education is. More clubs are trying to invest in proper coaching, more young keepers are hungry to learn, and the overall level is slowly rising. With the right structures, New Zealand can produce keepers who are not just athletic, but tactically and technically competitive beyond the Islands shores.
What has surprised you most about football in New Zealand?
The biggest surprise was how quickly players can develop when they’re given clarity and structure. The talent is here, sometimes it just needs a framework, higher expectations and a committed environment. I’ve also had to adapt to the logistical challenges: travel, facilities, and the spread of teams across the country and the competition structures.
What trends are you seeing in modern goalkeeping?
The biggest trend is the shift toward goalkeepers being genuine playmakers and defensive leaders. Distribution, positioning in possession, and understanding pressing structures are now essential. At the same time, the demands in shot stopping are increasing with faster ball speeds, more traffic, more unpredictable situations.
How do you adapt your coaching to reflect these changes?
I coach with the game in mind. That means more scenario based work once we nailed stuff in an isolated environment, more decision making, and more integration with the team. I want keepers to understand why they’re doing something, not just how. The modern goalkeeper needs to be a problem solver and in charge of providing structure, leadership and coaching in the built up and defending the box.
How does goalkeeping culture in New Zealand compare to where you’ve come from?
In Germany, the GK culture is deeply established: there’s a clear pathway, a shared language, a high baseline of technical expectation and flourishing coach education with best practice educators and candidates. In New Zealand, the culture is still developing, but the enthusiasm is huge. The hunger to learn is one of the country’s biggest strengths.
What’s one Kiwi thing you’ve had to learn quickly?
That “yeah, nah” can mean about five different things depending on the tone. And that you always pack a rain jacket, even if the sky is blue.
What have you enjoyed most about living in New Zealand so far?
The lifestyle — the balance between work, football, and nature. People are friendly, the pace is healthier, and the environment is beautiful. It’s a place where you can breathe.
What have you found hardest being away from home?
Being far from family and close friends is the toughest part. You miss the small things: birthdays, dinners, the everyday moments. But it also teaches you to value the connections you build here.
What were your first impressions of New Zealand, both culturally and in football?
Culturally, I felt welcomed straight away. People are open and relaxed. In football, I saw a lot of potential: good athletes, good attitudes, and a real desire to improve. The challenge is building the structures around that potential, and that’s something I enjoy being part of.
