Amandine Miquel will coach Rayadas in her first final for the club against América Femenil in the Clausura 2026, a series that could deliver the Monterrey side its fifth title. The French coach said she is satisfied with the response from her players and staff after arriving in December with the high targets set by the board.
“I am satisfied with the response of the players and all the staff that supports me because we arrived in December with very high objectives given to us by the board,” Miquel said. “It was an ambitious goal, I found players with exceptional mentality who fight for everything, I think that is the DNA of Rayadas: they never stop fighting.”
Miquel’s path to this point was built far from Monterrey. Before joining Rayadas, she managed Leicester City, Stade de Reims Féminines, Bergerac Périgord and Chamois Niortais. At Reims, she helped the club win promotion and settle into the Première Ligue française, and earlier in England she worked in Chelsea’s youth system and helped the club win a youth league. That background now meets the expectations of a team chasing another championship in liga mx femenil.
Her connection to Mexico goes back to childhood. Miquel said she lived in Mexico City when she was six years old, and that it was there she began playing football. “It is a very special memory for me, a country that gave me great experiences. I had always had the project of returning to Mexico and being able to coach in this league,” she said.
The final also carries a clear sporting warning. Miquel said América Femenil is a strong opponent with players of a very high level and the ability, when they are at their best, to hurt any rival. That assessment sets up a title series in which Rayadas are chasing history and América arrive with enough quality to make the path difficult from the first whistle.
For Miquel, the moment closes a long route from Europe to Mexico City and now to one of the biggest stages in Mexican women’s soccer. For Rayadas, it is a chance to turn a December hire into a fifth title and confirm that the club’s demands matched the coach’s experience.
