Filipa Patão named coach of NWSL expansion club, the Boston Legacy

BOSTON (AP) — Benfica coach Filipa Patão has been hired as the new head coach of the National Women’s Soccer League club Boston Legacy.

Patão, 36, will take over the expansion team’s preparations for its first season next year in July once her visa is approved, the club announced Wednesday.

Patão has led Benfica since 2020, with a 156-28-15 record across all competitions. During her tenure, Benfica has won Portugal’s top flight title five straight years.

Benfica also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023-24 UEFA Women’s Champions League. She was nominated for the Ballon d’Or’s Coach of the Year in 2024.

“The American league is extremely competitive and that’s one of the reasons I accepted this project: I like competition, difficulty, and getting the players to strive for more and better. To transform themselves and always demand more of themselves,” Patão said in a statement. “I know that Boston fans are passionate about the city and their teams and I’m looking forward to building a new history with them.”

Boston Legacy is one of two expansion clubs, along with a team in Denver, that will join the NWSL next year, bringing the league to 16 teams.

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