Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Brisbane Roar has appointed the youngest head coach in A-League history to take charge of the club’s top-flight women’s team.
Johnathan Clemente, 27, has signed a two-year deal with Brisbane, replacing the Roar’s former A-League women’s mentor Alex Smith, who was last month appointed coach of American outfit Brooklyn FC’s women’s team.
Clemente was previously an assistant coach of Melbourne Victory’s A-League women’s side, working under former Roar women’s coach Jeff Hopkins.
“I see exciting parallels between Brisbane Roar and my own journey,” Clemente said.
“We’ve been hungry, ambitious and have spent the past few years building strong foundations.
“Now it’s our time to come together and establish ourselves at the pinnacle of women’s football in this country.
“Our team will be built around shared principles, not set structures, with the objective being not how we play, but how we feel.”
Previously, Jess Fishlock had been the youngest coach appointed to a top A-League job, having been 29 when she took charge of Melbourne City’s women’s team as player-coach in January 2017.
The youngest mentor appointed to an A-League men’s head coaching role was Des Buckingham, who was 31 when he took over at Wellington Phoenix, also in January 2017.
Roar sporting director James Gow said the club had “conducted a thorough recruitment process” in finding Smith’s replacement.
“Johnathan is coach with a very clear idea of how he wants to play, train and develop his team,” Gow said.
“His desire for the role and clarity in how he works stood out.
“Despite his young age he has a lot of experience in the A-League women’s space. He really buys into the strategy we as a club wish to execute.”
