Fran Kirby on how Dario Vidosic’s exit hit Brighton before Arsenal

Fran Kirby, of Brighton, said the abrupt departure of head coach Dario Vidosic on the eve of the season left her “stressed” and “disappointed”. Vidosic left on 28 August, with Brighton’s opener against Arsenal still nine days away.

Kirby explained she had built a “really good relationship” with Vidosic and called him a fantastic coach who can go on to achieve “amazing things” at top clubs. But she pointed to the timing: “we had Arsenal coming up and hadn’t had a coaching session with the new manager.” Ruiz, manager of Real Sociedad, took over the same day.

From the FA Cup to the reset

Under Vidosic, Brighton reached the club’s first FA Cup final and finished fifth and seventh in the Women’s Super League. After a slow start with Ruiz, Kirby secured Brighton’s first WSL top-flight win before the international break, smashing promoted Charlton 5-1.

This Sunday, Brighton travel to champions Manchester City, who have won all five WSL matches so far. Kirby said: “We’re under no illusions—it’s been a tough start,” stressing the difficulty of adapting to a new playing style so close to the season.