Mariana Cabral could be Madrid-bound; ex-Sporting boss tipped | OneFootball

Mariana Cabral is one of the names being considered to take over as head coach of Atlético de Madrid’s women’s football team next season. Although the immediate focus is on the Queen’s Cup final against Barcelona, the club is already working on defining José Herrera’s successor.

The team’s inconsistent season, marked by a lack of consistency and failure to qualify for European competitions, has led the board to speed up planning for a new cycle. The current coach is expected to leave the position at the end of his contract, making room for a structural change in the sporting project.

Among the options on the table is also Ángel Villacampa, according to 'Marca', a coach with a past at Atlético and solid experience in women’s football, seen as more of a continuity option. Even so, the name of the current assistant coach of the Chicago Stars (USA) is gaining more and more weight in the decision-making process.

The Portuguese coach is seen as a bet more focused on the future and on modernising the project. At this point, Atlético de Madrid are analysing both profiles, weighing Villacampa’s solidity against the forward-looking vision associated with the former Sporting coach.

At 38, Mariana Cabral worked her way through the youth ranks at Sporting before taking charge of the first team. During that period, she put the Lionesses back in the title race, winning two Super Cups (2021/22 and 2024/25) and one Portuguese Cup (2021/22). The coach ended her spell with the Lisbon club in October 2024.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.