Ligue 2 side names woman as manager

FRENCH Ligue 2 football side Clermont Foot 63 yesterday unveiled Helena Costa as its manager for next season, the first time a woman has been appointed the manager of a professional football team in the country.

The Portuguese is also set to become the first female manager appointed to the top two divisions of any professional league in Europe.

She has signed a two-year deal and will take over from Régis Brouard, who is leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Clermont Foot 63 currently lies 14th out of 20 in French football’s second tier

After news of Ms Costa’s appointment broke, women’s minister Najat Belkacem tweeted: “Bravo Clermont Foot for understanding that giving a place to women is the future of professional football."

Meanwhile, Véronique Soulier, president of the club’s supporters association, said: "As a woman, it's made me happy.

"When I first heard the news, I was rather surprised, but once that passed we were pretty unanimous that it's good news… We all agree that a woman at the head of a group of men is no bad thing.

“Hopefully with the new manager, the club can find the motivation they're lacking at the moment.

"The boys in the team can be difficult to manage ... with a woman in charge, maybe they'll be less demanding."

Fans of Scottish Premier League club Celtic may think they have her name before. She is a former talent spotter for the club, and she also did work experience at Chelsea during Jose Mourinho’s first stint at the club.

She also managed the Qatari national women’s side from 2010 to 2012, guiding them to their first ever victory - a 4-1 win over the Maldives - before moving on to a two-year stint as manager of Iran’s women’s team.

In 2005, she led Portuguese men’s amateur team Sociedade Recreativa Desportiva Cheleirense to regional championship glory.

Until Ms Costa's appointment yesterday, Carolina Morace was the most notable female coach in the top European leagues. She was manager at Italian Serie C1 side Viterbese for two matches in 1999.

A statement on Clermont Foot 63's website said Costa's appointment would allow the club to enter "a new era".

Clermont’s media-savvy owner Claude Michy is a past master at grabbing the sporting headlines. Last year, he announced the team had signed Messi.

He wasn’t entirely joking. It just wasn’t the Argentinian and Barcelona striker Lionel, but Junior Messi Enguene, a 20-year-old midfielder from Cameroon.

Three months ago, Romanian Elena Groposila was named coach of Dijon men’s handball team.

Photo: Wikipedia