Brighton's interim management team have dedicated their Women's FA Cup fourth-round victory to the club's Australian coach Dario Vidosic, who's had to take a period of leave for private family reasons.
The Women's Super League outfit will be without their 38-year-old boss for "the foreseeable future", Brighton reported on the eve of their fourth-round tie against Nottingham Forest.
"As a club, our priority is to support Dario at this difficult time. We ask that his and his family's privacy is respected," Brighton's women's and girls' managing director Zoe Johnson had said in a statement.
On Sunday, in Vidosic's absence, assistant Chris Roberts, backed by first-team coach Arthur Brammer, took the reins and oversaw a comfortable 2-0 win for the Seagulls against WSL2 side Forest, with goals from Madison Haley and Jelena Cankovic.
"He's our leader, he's our boss and the team is very much his and we want to continue the great work that he's done. Hopefully, we did him proud today," said Roberts, reflecting on Vidosic's sterling work at the club.
"It's been a really tough 24 hours so it was about being professional today on the pitch but being there for Dario off the pitch -- and hopefully we've done that."
Vidosic's absence is a blow for the English south-coast club, which has been rejuvenated under his stewardship since he joined in 2024 after a successful spell at Melbourne City and led them to a fifth-place finish in the WSL in his first season.
They also reached the fifth round of the Women's FA Cup, before losing 3-2 to Aston Villa.
At the moment, Brighton are having a tougher campaign than in 2024-25 as they lie eighth in the 12-team league. Their next match is at Everton on Friday, before they host London City Lionesses on Sunday, February 1.
