Helena Costa explains decision to quit as Clermont coach
Tuesday 24 June 2014 22:19, UK
Helena Costa has claimed she quit as coach at Clermont because she found out players were recruited behind her back.
Portuguese Costa, announced as the first female coach of a French professional club in May, also said Clermont's sporting director did not reply to any of her emails during a five-day period.
In a statement, she said it was "a sequence of events which no coach would allow as they revealed a total lack of respect as well as total amateurism.
"For any leader in an organisation who is responsible for a team, it's unacceptable."
Costa also suggested she was unable to discuss these issues with president Claude Michy and neither would disclose details at a joint news conference.
Michy said that Costa was leaving "with her secret" and that he should have known better.
He added: "She's a woman. They are capable of leading us to believe in certain things."
Costa, 36, had previously coached the Iran women's national team and scouted for Scottish Premier League club Celtic.
No woman had come as close as she had to actually coaching a top men's professional team in Europe.
Carolina Morace was appointed coach of Serie C1 (third division) club Viterbese in Italy in 1999 but resigned after two matches, citing media pressure.
