The rain‑soaked west coast of Norway dazzles Kaminski, who jokes, “When it’s good, it’s gorgeous, so we’ll take it.” The English ex‑Crystal Palace champion now calls Bergen home, falling for Brann since her January appointment.
She could be talking about the role itself. After Brann’s 4‑0 loss to Austria Vienna knocked them out of the Women’s Champions League, Kaminski steered them to a cup final win over Aalesund, delivering her first European trophy. The squad sit four points clear at the summit with seven games left.
At Brann she follows fellow Brit Martin Ho and Leif Smerud, who succeeded her at Norway’s champions after she was dismissed by Palace in February 2025 during their debut WSL season. A move to Norway had never been on her radar.
I never imagined it, having worked only in England, until an offer promised European challenges. Joining an ambitious club hungry for titles was an irresistible pull.
After a needed break post‑Palace, which let her reflect on the fallout, Kaminski was eager to return as a head coach – her first top‑flight role since taking the Palace helm in 2024.
The chance to coach in a league where titles are within reach was too tempting. Who doesn’t want to chase silverware as a head coach?
She calls her time at promotion‑winning Tottenham, England youth sides and Charlton a valuable learning curve before Palace.
Domestic offers appeared, but she says the project must fit. When Brann approached, the fit felt almost perfect – a place to build, a new home. Her agent and a recruitment firm moved quickly.
One day you’re in London, 48 hours later you’re on a plane to Norway. She grabbed the chance, knowing a WSL title chase would be hard to replicate, yet her managerial journey continues after years of coaching.
More than 15 years, actually. Kaminski earned her UEFA A licence in 2018. “I always dreamed of a path I couldn’t see,” she recalls. Few professional, even fewer female, coaches existed when she started.
She believed she had the drive, but it was a labour of love – juggling jobs, endless travel, little pay, sometimes even paying to coach. Today the landscape has shifted, allowing proper rewards for talent.
Growth brings scrutiny and pressure, a reality Kaminski felt when Palace dismissed her. Despite a brief lift under Smerud, the club fell and she absorbed more lessons in 18 months than in the prior 18 years. The concern here is how quickly fortunes can turn in women’s football.
It was an unbuyable course,” she says, crediting chair Steve Parish and the club’s staff for stretching her. “Palace will always be my home; it ran well, but those 18 months were a crash course in crisis management, showing what I could control and what I couldn’t.”
Flying between matches is a huge shift in Norway, where she enjoys stunning scenery and senses a nation proud of its football.
She lives and breathes the game, admitting she’s still addicted. A Bundesliga match at halftime becomes a personal case study. The hunger that drove her through London’s rain remains, and she finds the transition to Brann smoother than expected.
The years on the training ground have built a deep knowledge base, shaping her style constantly. She believes this is just the start; the team plays attractive football. After wins in England, promotions with Tottenham and Palace, she now aims to prove herself abroad.
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This is an extract from our free email about women’s football, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions. Moving the Goalposts is delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday. Will Brann’s rise inspire more English coaches to seek opportunities abroad?