Brighton & Hove Albion boss Vidošić praises players’ bravery despite FA Cup final loss | OneFootball

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Dario Vidošić praised his side’s bravery despite suffering a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.

The Seagulls failed to secure a major piece of silverware in what was their first-ever appearance in an Adobe Women’s FA Cup final.

It was a tough afternoon for Brighton & Hove Albion, but head coach Vidošić praised his side for their first half performance in which they competed bravely for large parts.

“Really pleased [with the first half],” Vidošić said when speaking in the post-match press conference. “We wanted to start well, especially after our last game when we played at Broadfield and we weren’t there probably for the first 30 [minutes]. To show that bravery to play the way we did, to pin them back and it looked like we were causing them a lot of issues. We created some okay chances as well and some last-ditch defending or the last ball just sort of let us down.

“Conceding two sort of softer goals made it very difficult. We said at half-time, the first 30 minutes, if not even then patches after that as well, could give us confidence to go out for the second half. We knew that one goal could change it, but when they bring the likes of Viv [Vivianne Miedema] on and the quality that she possesses, the experience that she has.

“They were very lethal today with the chances that they had and it was just something that we need to keep working on and keep building towards.”

Brighton & Hove Albion have competed well in several games against the top sides and Vidošić believes that this bodes well for next season.

He said “We can gain a lot of confidence now, not just from today, but also from the previous weeks of what we’ve been able to do against some really, really good teams.

“It fills us with a lot of confidence through the disappointment. This will hurt for a little while, but hopefully, we can use that motivation and that fire for the next season starting in pre-season.”

Vidošić went on to thank the Brighton & Hove Albion fans for their support at Wembley and during the season.

He said “I think it has just been growing and I want to say a massive thank you to the fans. They were terrific today and also throughout the season.

“We’re sorry that we couldn’t have given them something more to celebrate, but that wasn’t from a lack of trying. The girls gave absolutely everything. They tried, but it just wasn’t our day today, getting the ball into the back of the net.

“We are very thankful to our fans and hopefully, we will just keep growing that and we can have even bigger numbers supporting us next season.”

Brighton & Hove Albion are putting down solid foundations both on and off the pitch as they bid to win silverware and push for European football. The club will go into 2026/2027 with plenty of optimism.