Chelsea Women confirm Sonia Bompastor as their new manager following Emma Hayes' exit... as the former Lyon boss pens four-year deal with the Blues

Chelsea have confirmed Sonia Bompastor as their new manager after the departure of long-serving coach Emma Hayes.

It had been the worst kept secret in women’s football that Bompastor, 43, would succeed Hayes - who left to become the manager of the United States national team.

Bompastor joins the Blues from Lyon, where she won three successive league titles and the 2021-22 Champions League.

‘I am incredibly grateful to join Chelsea Football Club as the manager of the women's team. It is an institution in English football. I will give my all to this new project to meet the ambitions of the club, the staff and the players.

‘I hope to live up to Emma's legacy and continue the work that has been done in recent years. Let the adventure begin.’

It’s understood Bompastor was identified as the outstanding candidate, with her winning mentality and desire to take up a new challenge in a different country impressing the club.

It’s understood Bompastor was identified as the outstanding candidate, with her winning mentality and desire to take up a new challenge in a different country impressing the club.

It was felt that Bompastor was the ideal replacement for Hayes due to her experience with Lyon, where she managed a big dressing room with lots of different personalities, which is similar to the environment she will find at Chelsea.

She is also used to the pressure of winning, having lifted the biggest trophies as both a player and a manager, and is seen as both humble and hard-working.

‘Sonia is a world-class coach with a proven track record of success on the biggest stages that will instantly command respect from the dressing room,’ Green said.

Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, added: ‘Sonia is the ideal candidate to build on Emma’s legacy and take the team forward. 

'She brings a wealth of experience from managing at the highest levels and winning trophies as a player and a coach. Her ethos and values align with Chelsea Football Club. We are all looking forward to having her on board.’

It is understood that the club was open to both a female and a male coach, though Hayes publicly stated she felt her replacement should be a woman.

Bompastor was coached by Hayes during their time at Washington Freedom and the former Chelsea boss has previously described her as an outstanding player and fierce competitor.

Mail Sport understands Hayes approved of Bompastor’s appointment but the two have been unable to meet in person due to their respective work schedules.

Bompastor will bring assistant coaches Camille Abily and Theo Rivrin with her while the club are interviewing for other backroom roles that have been vacated by Hayes’ coaching staff.

Chelsea have also announced a new strategic growth plan which will see the women’s team will no longer sit beneath the men’s team, but side-by-side in a stand-alone structure, with dedicated resources, management, and commercial leadership, which will be focussed solely on the growth and success of the women’s team.

The club ownership group will still continue to be the controlling shareholder of Chelsea Women and are committed to investing further and enriching the squad.

Chelsea believe the new structure will also help attract new investment into the women’s team. Currently, any prospective investor into a WSL team is required to invest through a men’s team.

Having analysed the market and discussed with investors, Chelsea say there is a strong desire for an opportunity to invest solely into the women’s game to specifically support women’s football and benefit from the growth in the women’s game.

Commercial Director Zarah Al-Kudcy said: ‘We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a club in the women’s game over many years now and, at this pivotal moment in the history of the sport, we want to take our work to the next level by unlocking the long-term potential of the team.

‘Dedicated resources and facilities are precisely what women’s football needs and deserves to fulfil the enormous opportunities within the game. Further investment only underlines how seriously Chelsea values women’s football and the benefits of this will be seen in the many years to come.’