Laura Kaminski has described her time at Crystal Palace as an invaluable “crash course” after moving on to Norway, where she is already enjoying a trophy-winning start with Brann.
The former Palace head coach joined Brann in January and has quickly made an impact. Her side lifted the Norwegian cup after beating Aalesund in the final, giving Kaminski her first major trophy outside England. Brann are also four points clear at the top of the league with seven matches remaining.
There has been disappointment in Europe, with Brann missing out on Women’s Champions League qualification after a 4-0 second-leg defeat by Austria Vienna. However, the opportunity to compete for honours was a major factor in Kaminski’s decision to leave England for Bergen.
Kaminski was dismissed by Palace in February 2025, midway through the club’s first Women’s Super League campaign. Palace were subsequently relegated, despite a brief improvement in results under Leif Smerud, who had replaced Kaminski and later succeeded her at Brann.
Reflecting on her Palace tenure, Kaminski said the 18 months had taught her more than the previous 18 years of her career. She credited chairman Steve Parish and others at the club with stretching her in the role, while acknowledging that she had also identified areas she could have handled better.
Kaminski had taken Palace to promotion after becoming a head coach for the first time in 2024, having previously worked with Tottenham, England’s youth teams and Charlton. She now wants to demonstrate that she can deliver success abroad, with Brann providing an immediate chance to compete for further silverware.
