After leading the Celtic Ladies for three years, Fran Alonso has been thinking back on his reasons for leaving to join the Houston Dash.
It would be difficult to turn down an offer to work in the top league in the sport under any conditions, but he had already given the Celtic team success, not to mention a reputation and a personality, so there was that foundation he could have expanded on.
Alonso had positions at Southampton and Everton after rising from the bottom to become a coach in the UK. In 2020, he moved north to take over the Celtic team.
His passion was contagious, and fans took an interest in the Ladies Team to the point where two of their matches at Celtic Park last season drew more than 10,000 spectators each.
The players, supporters, and manager collaborated effectively, but at every stage of the game, hard money is needed; Celtic is merely a platform for players to advance.
Speaking to the Behind The Goals podcast on Radio Scotland, Jacynta, the top scorer from the previous season, left for Sporting Lisbon. Alonso clarified why he needed to look forward to moving on as well:
For me, the issue stemmed from our lack of success in keeping the talented athletes we developed. During my four years there, we lost our leading scorer each year, but neither Glasgow City nor Rangers did.
While certain player moves and departures are unavoidable, there is a strong need to undergo a substantial rebuild every season, particularly in light of the fact that continued success will lead to more players leaving.
Last season, Alonso guided Celtic to the Scottish Cup, and the team was only minutes close from winning the SWPL.
After 18 games, Celtic is in second position in the SWPL this season, six points behind the top spot. Elena Sadiku, a 30-year-old Swede who previously played for the Everton u-21 team, replaced Alonso.
