Portugal’s Helena Costa is to be the highest-profile female manager of a European men’s team after being named head coach of Clermont Foot in France.

Costa, a former scout for Scottish Premiership side Celtic, has coached the Iran women’s team since 2012.

The 36-year-old, who has also coached Benfica’s male youth teams and the Qatar women’s side, will join Clermont at the end of the season.

“It should help the club enter a new era,” said the Ligue 2 club.

Prior to Costa’s appointment, the highest-profile female coach of a men’s team in Europe was Carolina Morace, who took charge of Italian Serie C1 team Viterbese for two matches in 1999.  More …