Sexist football club chief Claude Michy has launched an astonishing attack after manager Helena Costa’s sudden exit — claiming Europe’s first female coach at a top men’s side left because “she’s a woman.”

French second division team Clermont Foot’s president said her decision to quit on Tuesday hours before taking her first training session was “astonishing, irrational and incomprehensible,” adding: “She’s a woman so it could be down to any number of things.

“She’s a woman. They are capable of leading us to believe in certain things and then she simply said ‘I’m going’. We couldn’t make her change her mind. She leaves with her secret intact.”

The 36-year-old was only appointed manager last month, becoming the first-ever female coach to be hired by a top-level European men’s professional team.

In a press conference revealing her decision Costa kept her reasons for leaving to herself.

She said at the time: “Until now I’ve totally honoured by commitments.

“After a discussion with the president, I’ve decided to leave. It’s my own decision.”

But following Michy’s attack she released a statement to a Portuguese newspaper saying her decision to leave came after “a sequence of events that no coach would tolerate.”

Costa claims that signings had been made behind her back, her emails for more information on the signings had gone unanswered for up to a week and when she had got a response from the club’s sporting director Olivier Chavanon, she was told: “Your emails are tiresome. I’m not your PA and I’m not at your disposal.”

Costa says she went directly to Michy last Saturday to explain her problems with Chavanon and threatened to quit her role as manager.

Michy told Costa that he would intervene the following day, but when she tried to contact him found that his phone was turned off and was unable to get in contact with him for nearly two days. 

On the day of her resignation the president called a meeting at which the sporting director was present.

Chavanon reportedly apologised to Costa regarding his conduct and the way he had spoken to her but Costa informed them that she had decided to resign with immediate effect.

Despite her experience at the French side Costa is keen to get back into management.

She said: “I hope in the future other opportunities will come.”