Former Orlando Pirates fitness guru wants Everton in the Champions League

New Everton FC performance manager Franck Plaine has set his sights on leading the club’s Women’s Super League side the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and to restore their former glory.

One of the more established women’s top flight sides in the UK, Everton’s success since 2010 has been marginal at best as investment into other teams outstripped theirs, and they currently sit in the bottom half of the WSL table after eight fixtures.

Former Orlando Pirates fitness director Plaine, who only arrived in November from stints with Zambia and Uganda’s men’s national teams, is undaunted, despite not working with a women’s team before.

But, whenever possible, Plaine says he watched the elite women’s tournaments. This is precisely where he and his ambitious new colleagues, helmed by head coach Jean-Luc Vasseur, want to take Everton — To Europe’s top competition.

Plaine told ESPN: “We want to be part of the Champions League, so we have to reach the top three. [To finish in the] top three in England is not so easy, because you have big clubs. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and [Manchester] United — big clubs, but this is something that we want.

“The club is ambitious to achieve things in the future. We are here to try to bring the club on a higher level. We will try very hard with the players. We don’t see it as any pressure, but just something that you see in your mind for later — that objective, we want it.

“We want to compete in all of Europe and take part in these big events like the Champions League. Definitely, it will be a challenge, but let’s see. Being on the podium and competing for the cups is what we want.”

Plaine, who was with the Buccaneers for three years till March 2021, earned his stripes working with world football’s top talents at Clairefontaine Academy and Paris…