Filipa Patão: “I’m Here to Make History"
“This city deserves a strong women's football.”
Boston Legacy head coach Filipa Patão touched down in Boston nearly three weeks ago and has since spent time being a tourist in her new home: walking along the waterfront, roaming the halls of the Boston Public Library, and eating lobster rolls.
The Portuguese national was quick to recognize Boston’s culture and values, particularly the loyalty and penchant for the city’s sports teams.
The fervor Bostonians display day in and day out mirrors her own.
“Everybody knows that this city wants to win. This city wants a legacy,” she said in her first press conference Thursday. “This city deserves a strong women's football.”
If you need the reminder, Patão’s five years as SL Benfica women’s head coach resulted in a 156-28-15 W-L-D record across all competitions. She led her team to win Portugal’s top flight for five consecutive years. All the success made her too comfortable, she said, which is what pushed her to seek her next venture.
BLFC’s first-ever coach feels pride in having the opportunity to build a club from the ground up. Though a difficult road may lie ahead, there’s comfort in knowing her staff and front office share the same principles and commitment as hers. She promises to deliver an engaging style of play and a team that will fit right in with Boston’s winning mentality.
Patão acknowledges that the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will be very different compared to her time coaching in Portugal. She looks to her experience in the UEFA Champions League, where her best result was leading Benfica to the quarterfinals, to have a sense of how to manage in a high-stakes environment.
Patão has described herself as being ultra competitive: she needs her team to keep possession and constantly pressure the opposing side. But above all else, adaptability is key to achieving success.
“The most important [thing] in football is [to] understand what the game is saying to you,” she said. ”And if the game is saying to you that you need to change some particular things, some particular dynamic or principle in the game, you need to do it.”
The search for BLFC’s first coach began with 60-plus candidates and spanned over six months. What stood out from Patão’s résumé was more than just the number of titles and trophies she won with Benfica, said General Manager Domè Guasch. From the start, Guasch has been transparent about how the Legacy’s inaugural roster will likely include talent that will need to be developed.
“For us, it's also her track record in developing players,” Guasch said. “Not only young, right, but also players of all ages. Her way … also proved of creating and building [a] healthy and also winning culture at the same time.”
The current seven-player roster has an average age of 22. All are on loan to different teams until the end of the year, but Patão recognizes the value of connecting with and supporting the squad before they officially don a Legacy uniform. She has been checking in with the players and, while careful not to overstep, sometimes goes over film and details that could be improved and would benefit the club later on.
The head coach is realistic about the team’s NWSL debut. Though her enthusiasm for the game and competitive spirit shine through, she believes making mistakes and taking risks is just as important as winning. Patão does not want her players to be afraid of failure and is keen on instilling a culture that dictates how the team rises above adversity.
One thing is clear: Filipa is up for the challenge.
“I don't want to be part of something that [doesn’t] create something different in the world of football,” she said. “I’m here to make history.”
Sounds like a realistic long term approach