Eva Olid
 Olid in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eva Olid Nicolás | ||
| Date of birth | 28 August 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Sabadell, Spain | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester United (head coach) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 2021–2026 | Heart of Midlothian | ||
| 2026– | Manchester United | ||
Eva Olid Nicolás (born 28 August 1985) is a Spanish football manager who is currently the head coach of Manchester United in the Women's Super League.
Olid holds a UEFA Pro License, the highest coaching certification available in Europe.[1]
Career
[edit]Olid's first coaching roles were in her native Spain. At 26 years old she worked with Sant Quirze in the women’s third division, taking them to their highest-ever league position.[2]
Seeking a club with greater ambitions, Olid spent a few years with Sant Cugat FC’s boys’ academy before choosing to return to women's football at her home town of Sabadell.[3]
At Sabadell FC, Olid coached different teams, as well as gaining experience of disability football. She became head of women's football at the club.[2]
USA experience
[edit]After working with a visiting American team at a tournament, Olid was offered a contract by Houston Dynamo. This was her first full-time professional coaching role. She worked at the academy and at Houston affiliate Louisiana Krewe.[2]
Return to Catalonia
[edit]Olid returned to Spain when Covid restrictions curtailed her opportunities in the US. She worked for the Catalan Football Federation.[3]
Heart of Midlothian
[edit]In 2021, Olid was appointed manager of the women's team of Scottish side Heart of Midlothian.[4] She signed a new two-year contract in August 2023,[5] being described as having "revolutionised the club and achieved a record fourth-place finish".[6] In 2024, she took Hearts to the final of the Scottish Women's Cup, which they lost 2–0 to Rangers.[7]
On 9 April 2026, it was announced that Olid would end her tenure as manager of Hearts by mutual agreement at the end of the 2025–26 season.[8] A month later, she led the club to achieve their first-ever title in the Scottish Women's Premier League.[9]
Manchester United
[edit]On 5 August 2026, Olid was appointed as the new head coach of Manchester United in the Women's Super League on a contract until June 2028, with the option to extend by a further year.[10]
Coaching style
[edit]Olid has been described as "very intriguing, in that she has looked to combine different aspects of traditional tactics from Spain, the USA and Scotland (where she has coached during her career) to come up with her own identity".[11]
Personal life
[edit]Olid grew up in Ca n'Oriac, a neighbourhood of Sabadell in Catalonia,[12] and started playing football when she was seven years old.[2] After initially playing with boys, Olid joined a girls' team when she was ten; she played for Sabadell and La Planada.[12]
Due to the cost of playing, Olid decided to focus on her education and trained to become a teacher in Physical Education and English.[2]
Managerial statistics
[edit]- As of match played 13 September 2026[citation needed]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Heart of Midlothian | 1 July 2021 | 30 June 2026 | 171 | 88 | 19 | 64 | 51.46 |
| Manchester United | 5 August 2026 | present | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Career total | 173 | 88 | 19 | 66 | 50.87 | ||
Honours
[edit]Heart of Midlothian
[edit]Individual
- Scottish Women's Premier League Manager of the Season: 2025–26
References
[edit]- ↑ "Eva Olid right on schedule in capital as she opens up on career goals". heraldscotland.com. 10 October 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Bloomfield, Craig (12 January 2025). "Eva Olid". Coaches' Voice. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- 1 2 Wrack, Suzanne (23 April 2026). "Leaving present? Eva Olid takes Hearts Women within sight of historic title". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ "Hearts women: Eva Olid takes over at Edinburgh side as boss". BBC Sport. 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ↑ "Eva's Hearts Extension". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ↑ ""I cannot be in a better place" insists Hearts manager Eva Olid". scotsman.com. 10 August 2023.
- ↑ "Match Report: Rangers 2-0 Hearts". www.heartsfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ↑ Canavan, Amy (9 April 2026). "Olid to leave SWPL leaders Hearts at end of season". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ "Hearts Women crowned SWPL Champions". Heart of Midlothian F.C. 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "Olid appointed United Women head coach". Manchester United. 5 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "Hearts Women: Their tactical development under Eva Olid". totalfootballanalysis.com. 1 March 2023.
- 1 2 Sánchez, Jordi (16 November 2021). "Eva Olid: de Ca n'Oriac a entrenar a la Primera Divisió escocesa" [Eva Olid: from Ca n'Oriac to coaching in the Scottish Premier Division] (in Catalan). isabadell.cat.
- Living people
- 1985 births
- Expatriate football managers in Scotland
- Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
- Heart of Midlothian W.F.C. managers
- Manchester United W.F.C. managers
- Spanish football managers
- Spanish expatriate football managers
- Sportspeople from Sabadell
- Scottish Women's Premier League managers
- Spanish expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Expatriate soccer head coaches in the United States
- Sportswomen from Catalonia
- 21st-century Spanish sportswomen
- Expatriate football managers in England
- Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England
