French Second Division club Clermont Foot Auvergne 63 have made history by appointing the first ever female coach of a professional male football team.
Her name is Helena Costa and she hails from Portugal. The club released a statement on their website, which read: “Clermont Foot 63 has chosen Helena Costa to be our new coach.
“Helena Costa came through the ranks at Benfica before taking charge of the women’s teams at Odivelas, then the national teams of Qatar and Iran, in addition to working as a scout for Celtic. This appointment will allow Clermont Foot 63 to begin a new era, relying on a group of 17 players currently under contract, which will be added by young players from the club.”
It’s a brave and bold move by the French club and one which we applaud wholeheartedly. Is this the dawn of a new era? One thing is for sure, her name needs to be noted for pub quizzes in the coming years.
Hat-tip to The Guardian
