Mariana Cabral, a 38-year-old Portuguese coach with experience at Benfica and Sporting's women's teams, has hit a career wall due to limited access to Uefa's pro licence courses. Despite holding an A licence, she cannot secure a head coach role in top women's football without the pro qualification, which is increasingly demanded by clubs. Cabral left her assistant role at Utah Royals in December to seek opportunities that might help her gain entry to a course.
Cabral says she has missed out on head coach offers in Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the US because she lacks the pro licence. 'They're opportunities that have just gone down the drain,' she told the Guardian. She criticises admission criteria that often prioritise experience in men's football and notes that course numbers have not expanded to meet growing demand from women's football.
Uefa data shows the number of female coaches with C, B, A or pro licences rose to 25,000 in 2024, a 75% increase in eight years. However, pro licence courses remain scarce, with few spots available. Uefa's coaching convention reserves 10% of places for appropriately qualified women, but organisers are not obliged to accept less-qualified candidates. A scholarship scheme exists but has not alleviated the bottleneck.
Cabral tried to join courses in Portugal and Wales but was unsuccessful. She knows other women whose careers are on hold while they wait for course places. 'This affects a lot of women,' she said, noting that some pause for family and then struggle to re-enter coaching. 'It's really hard when you get to the high coaching badges.'
