Fran Kirby Says Vidosic Exit Left Brighton Stressed and Disappointed

Fran Kirby has said Dario Vidosic's sudden exit from Brighton left her feeling "stressed" and "disappointed".

The England forward made the comments on the Women's Football Weekly podcast, speaking about a departure that shook the club just before the new season BBC Sport.

Vidosic left on 28 August. That was nine days before Brighton's season opener against Arsenal.

The timing was brutal. Kirby said the squad had Arsenal coming up and had not yet had a coaching session with the new manager.

Arturo Ruiz was appointed on the same day Vidosic left, joining from Real Sociedad. He took charge for the Arsenal game without much time to shape the team. Brighton lost that opening match in the Women's Super League, England's top division.

It was a difficult start. Brighton went winless through their first four league games under Ruiz.

Then came relief. Ruiz claimed his first English top-flight win when Brighton beat promoted Charlton 5-1 before the international break.

Vidosic had been a big figure for the club. He led Brighton to club-record fifth- and seventh-place finishes in the league. He also guided them to a first FA Cup final, where they lost 4-0 to Manchester City in May.

Kirby knows what winning looks like. She won the Women's Super League seven times with Chelsea before moving to the south coast.

What makes this stand out is the honesty. Players rarely describe that pre-season churn so plainly. Nine days before Arsenal, with a new voice in the room and no session on the grass, stress sounds about right.