Helena Costa made the decision to step down from her post after becoming the first female coach of Clermont Foot 63, a second-division French squad in May.
In a surprising turn of events, Costa, 36, announced her decision not to take up the post in front of journalists but refused to say why exactly she was walking out on the club. The decision was made hours before the club’s first training session, which the Portuguese coach was due to oversee.
“Until now I’ve totally honoured by commitments, but after a discussion with the president, I’ve decided to leave. It’s my own decision,” she said.
However, Claude Michy, president of the second division Clermont Foot 63, said: “She’s a woman so it could be down to any number of things,” alleging that Costa developed a ‘confidence problem’ out of nowhere.
“It’s an astonishing, irrational and incomprehensible decision. She’s developed a confidence problem, but I don’t know what it was that caused this. She told me quite simply: ‘I’m going,’ and we didn’t succeed in making her change her mind. She’s taking her secret with her.” – Michy
Michy has also been accused of being sexist, which is a rather unfair statement, given that he clearly backed Costa in the beginning and made the decision to hire her based on merit, not gender.
It is also worth noting that the club took a progressive risk, but there are always unforeseen circumstances and issues behind football that do not see the light of day.
For example, Costa may have already met with Clermont’s players to establish a rapport with them, which is a vital ingredient of football coaching. And while she may have been comfortable with them, a number of players may have voiced their concerns about working with a female coach, which may have led her to step down.
Differences in styles, work ethics and beliefs may have also contributed to this and quite simply, the pressure of being the first woman’s coach in an unsupportive environment is a recipe for disaster.
Another possible decision may have been developing cold feet towards the pressure of the job, where Costa’s achievements would have been analyzed under a microscope of her gender. It’s an uncomfortable position to be in, and the sexism in French society (though, to be fair, has improved) would not have allowed her to escape unscathed should she fail to do her job.
Lastly, Michy’s statements about Costa “being a woman” in her decisions may have alluded to a different matter, given the fact that Costa may have either received a more lucrative offer elsewhere, or decided to settle down in her life (start a family).
However, if it was his intention to brand her indecisive, it’s certainly uncalled for given the fact that she must have thought comprehensively through before taking up the job.
