Brighton manager Dario Vidosic is set to leave the Women’s Super League club a little over a week before the start of the new season, with multiple sources telling the Guardian he is the leading candidate for the Angel City head coach role in the NWSL, with a view to starting work before the 2027 season.
Vidosic has been in charge of Brighton for two years, guiding them to a first-ever Wembley appearance in May’s Women’s FA Cup final. His departure, first reported by the Daily Telegraph, is understood to have surprised many members of Brighton’s squad, coming with the club due to open their WSL campaign against Arsenal on 6 September.
A tenure defined by progress, on and off the pitch
Vidosic arrived at Brighton in the summer of 2024, going straight from his own playing retirement and a short stint managing Melbourne City into his first job in English football. A protege of Ange Postecoglou, he made an immediate mark, leading Brighton to a record fifth-place finish in his debut season.
His second season brought a slight step back in the league, with Brighton finishing seventh, but the club reached the FA Cup final for the first time in their history, only to lose to Manchester City at Wembley. Across two seasons in charge, Vidosic oversaw 49 matches, winning 20, drawing six and losing 23.
A difficult personal year behind the scenes
Vidosic’s departure comes after a genuinely difficult year for him personally. In January, Brighton confirmed he would take a period of leave for family reasons, missing the club’s Women’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with Nottingham Forest, with assistant Chris Roberts stepping in as interim charge.
That leave was connected to the illness of his father, Rado Vidosic, who had been working alongside his son at Brighton as an assistant coach. Rado passed away shortly afterwards following a battle with cancer, a loss Dario described on social media as heartbreaking, writing that he would carry his father’s wisdom and strength with him. Brighton’s managing director of female football, Zoe Johnson, said at the time that Rado’s impact on the team and everyone within it would forever be remembered.
What comes next for Brighton
Brighton did not wish to comment on the news when contacted, and no timeline has been confirmed for appointing a successor before the season opener against Arsenal. The club will need to move quickly to have a manager in place, whether permanent or interim, with the WSL campaign now just over a week away.
For Vidosic, the Angel City opportunity represents a fresh start across the Atlantic, following a spell in England that included genuine highs, a first Wembley final and a club-record league finish, set against a personal year that will have shaped his decision to move on.
