Emily Lima


Emily Alves da Cunha Lima is a Brazilian-born Portuguese football manager and former football player. In 2016, she became the first female manager of the Brazilian women's national football team.

Biography

Lima began her football career when she was 14 years old, on Saad Esporte Clube. In Brazil she also played as a midfielder for São Paulo FC from 1997-2000, Palestra de São Bernardo, Barra de Teresópolis and Veranópolis. Lima had also played for the Brazilian national under-17 women's football team.
In 2003 Lima moved to Spain, playing for the clubs Estudiantes de Huelva, Puebla de la Calzada, Prainsa de Zaragoza and L’Estartit. In 2007, she attained Portuguese-Brazilian dual citizenship, playing for the Portuguese national team. She finished her playing career in 2010, at the Italian club Napoli CF.
Back to Brazil, Lima pursued a coaching career. She became coaching assistant for Portuguesa de Desportos in 2010. She became the titular coach of CA Juventus until 2013, when she was invited to manage the Brazilian under-17 team. In 2015, she coached São José Esporte Clube, the last Copa Libertadores Femenina champion. She led the club to the second place at 2015 Copa do Brasil.
In 2016, Lima was appointed as coach of the Brazilian women's national team, in the place of Vadão, thus becoming the first women to coach the Seleção Feminina. Lima's first competition as national coach was the Torneio Internacional de Manaus, on which she led the team to their seventh title. She was fired of the Brazilian team in September 2017; under her run, the Seleção won seven games, lost five and drew one.