Prêcheur aiming for promotion in first season at London City Lionesses | OneFootball

Jocelyn Prêcheur is targeting the Barclays Women’s Championship title and promotion to the top tier in his first season as head coach of London City Lionesses.

Prêcheur will take charge of Michele Kang’s ambitious team after one season coaching French top flight club Paris Saint-Germain.

The Pride revealed Prêcheur’s appointment in an official club media event on Thursday and the Frenchman will now be tasked with guiding London City Lionesses up the pyramid.

Discussing what attracted him to the role, Prêcheur highlighted his admiration for owner Kang’s project and her investment in the women’s game.

“I’m very delighted to join London City Lionesses,” Prêcheur said. “Since I met Michele last season, I have always admired her vision and dedication for the women’s game.

“First, it’s a very ambitious project. I decided to join this project because I really wanted to support her. This is a project that I’ve waited a very long time for, so of course, for me, there is no other choice than to just join this project and support her.

“We start very soon, next week. We will discover new players, [build] the project and start to work with the team to prepare them for this new season.”

Prêcheur went on to say that he is bidding for a strong campaign despite the 2024/2025 season being his first year both in the role and working in the English game. The 42-year-old has one goal and that’s to win promotion at the first time of asking, although he knows that it won’t be easy.

He said “We will do our best to get promoted after one season. On one side, of course, we have a lot of ambition, we have a lot of motivation, too, but on another side, we have to show some part of humility because we have to work, we have to build a new team.

“We have everything we need; ambition gives us everything we need to build and to be efficient from the beginning. After that, it depends on how we will create this group, this cohesion between these new players, how I will share my philosophy, how we will create our identity in the way that we play. Of course, our mission is to get promoted in the first season.”

Going on to discuss his playing philosophy, Prêcheur explained that implementing an attractive brand of football will be important in growing the club’s fanbase at their new home in Bromley.

He said “Of course, I want to win, so we have to be efficient but I think at the same time, we also need an attractive way of playing. This is something I want to bring in too, for many reasons. We need to convince the fans to come and watch the game next season.

“It is a new start, so we have new players, we have to merge everything; the culture of the club, the values of the club. I have my visions, I have my convictions about how we should play to win and also to have an attractive way of playing.”

Prêcheur has signed an initial three-year contract with London City Lionesses. He becomes the club’s fifth permanent head coach.