'This is now the best female project in football': London City Lionesses begin new chapter with Eder Maestre
Spanish coach arrives with big ambitions
London City Lionesses have begun 2026 with a significant change on the touchline, appointing Spaniard Eder Maestre as their new head coach following the departure of Jocelyn Prêcheur. Maestre has arrived in England with a growing reputation, bringing experience from Spain’s top flight and a philosophy that could add a new dimension to London City’s promising WSL campaign.
He joins from CD Tenerife Femenino, who finished sixth in Liga F last season. While this is his first role as a head coach in England, the WSL will not feel entirely unfamiliar. He previously spent three seasons as assistant coach under Natalia Arroyo, now Aston Villa manager, at Real Sociedad, where current London City players Elene Lete and Sanni Franssi played.
It was a somewhat peculiar change in coaching staff from London City as the newly-promoted side ended 2025 in sixth place and have shown great ability and improvement so far, securing five wins in 11 matches. For Maestre, the opportunity was something he simply could not turn down. “In my opinion, this is now the best female project in football, and I cannot say no. There are a lot of things to manage – people, players, new staff. But I am completely excited by the things I am watching every day, and all the resources we have to build something strong.”
For a manager, coming in mid-season is always tricky, but Maestre is embracing that challenge: “I want to build on the foundation that we have. We are in the sixth position, we want to be humble but dreaming big. That’s the balance we want to have in the next few weeks.”
Tactically, his approach reflects many of the principles associated with Spanish football, including high-possession, structured build-up play from the back, typically within a back four system. However, he is keen to stress that this is not rigid. “I am from the north of Spain, the Basque Country, which is very connected to British culture. I love English football, it’s been my favourite league since I was a child. I am so pleased to now be in this league because I think I am very aligned with the way of understanding that style of football and respect those idiosyncrasies, so I am very happy to be here.”
As a coach, he describes himself as very ambitious, attentive to detail and highly collaborative. “I like being very close to the players to share football. I like being very didactic, trying to give them all the arguments to justify all the decisions, so I want to create a didactic environment to improve the skills of all the players, trying to build a stronger collective vision.”
He has also served in youth academy and sporting director roles before in the Basque Country, meaning he has vast experience developing young players, which could prove valuable as London City’s younger players navigate their first full WSL season.
London City forward Nikita Parris offered insight into his early impact, speaking on Sky Sports to Pitch on Pod: “The first couple of sessions were quite frantic, fast-paced. Everyone wants to impress, which is natural, but now everyone’s settled down a little bit more. Everyone is excited; you can see elements of the training coming together. It’s going to be a process, but the first signs are really good.”
Those early signs will be on display in Sunday’s match against Liverpool, who are currently second from bottom in the table. Maestre confirmed that there have not been any further player injuries over the winter break, and those who did not play in their last match against Leicester City in December have recovered.
Maestre’s message is clear and consistent: “We need to be in the high top level, and our best version is to be built from that humble vision. If we want to win, we need to be better than the opponent, and we need to respect the strengths of the opponent, trying to get ourselves in that mood. For me, being in that mindset or that mentality is very important to beat not only Liverpool but all the opponents we are going to face.”
As London City embark on the next chapter of their WSL journey, Maestre’s arrival could prove a compelling one that shapes not just results but identity in the months ahead.