Female coach Diacre gets off to losing start

BREST, France - Agence France-Presse

Clermont-Ferrand's French coach Corinne Diacre reacts during the French L2 football match between Brest and Clermont-Ferrand on August 4, 2014 at the Francis Le Ble stadium in Brest, western France. AFP Photo

Clermont's Corinne Diacre, the first female coach of a men's professional club in a major European country, got off to a losing start on Monday, her new team losing 2-1 to Brest in France's Ligue 2.
      
The former French international defender made her bow at the Stade Francis-Le Ble in Brittany on her 40th birthday and was greeted with a bouquet of flowers and a standing ovation from the crowd.
      
However, her team were unable to hold on to the early lead given to them by Souleymane Sawadogo as they conceded twice in the second half against one of the favourites to win promotion to Ligue 1 at the end of the campaign.
      
"It is never nice to lose, that is for sure," Diacre, the former assistant coach of France's women's team, told Eurosport after the game.
      
"We made mistakes at each of the goals we let in. That is how it is. But we did some good things and it augurs well for the future."       

Diacre was the surprise choice to take over the modest second-tier club after another woman, Portugal's Helena Costa, was appointed only to abruptly resign on the eve of her tenure.