NWSL: Filipa Patão named first head coach of expansion side Boston Legacy FC | OneFootball

Boston Legacy FC have appointed former Benfica boss Filipa Patão as their head coach ahead of the 2026 NWSL season.

This appointment ends a longstanding relationship with Benfica, after joining in 2007 as a youth coach. Patão then managed the youth teams before managing the senior side for five years. During her tenure, she achieved a successful 156-28-15 W-L-D record over all competitions. Alongside this, she won the Campeonato Nacional Feminino five times consecutively, and four Portuguese cups.

Patão made history in 2023/24, leading Benfica to the UWCL quarter-finals — the furthest any Portuguese club has advanced. Her outstanding managerial performance earned her a nomination for the Ballon d’Or’s inaugural Women’s Coach of the Year award.

“I like competition, difficulty, and getting the players to strive for more and better.”

Ahead of her move, Patão said: “I’m very excited about going to Boston. I can’t wait to get to the city, meet all the people and start working. 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.”

“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.”

General Manager Domé Guasch added: “Boston is a club where we want to develop both technical identity and have a clear style of play, but also we want a coach who thinks about more than just winning games. Filipa is a coach I believe can help us build a great culture where players understand they will come here to grow and learn.”

Boston Legacy FC will begin their journey in the 2026 NWSL season as the league’s 15th franchise. They will play their home matches at the Gilette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

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