Uefa’s limitations have set hurdles for women keen to take the next step in coaching despite the increasing demand
M
ariana Cabral has a coaching CV to be proud of. Born on the small Azores island of São Miguel, she has been in charge of the women’s teams at clubs including Benfica and Sporting, but the 38-year-old is frustrated. “We want more women coaches,” she says. “Who won the Euros? Who won the Champions League? Women – but we are losing so many.”
Cabral has her A Licence but is stuck in limbo. Unable to get on a Pro Licence course that would clear a path to more senior head coach roles in an era when women’s teams are increasingly demanding that qualification, she stepped back to become a No 2 in the US. But after one NWSL season with Utah Royals, she left in December in the hope that expanding her experience at another club would help to open a Pro Licence door.
“Last season I had an approach from a club here in the US to be a head coach, but without the Pro Licence I can’t,” Cabral says. “I had had two offers in Spain at the beginning of the season and one in Saudi Arabia, but they all wanted the Pro Licence. They’re opportunities that have just gone down the drain. It’s really disappointing because this is what I want to do and this is what I’ve worked for so many years for.”
