It might seem an impossible act to follow, but Chelsea Women’s new head coach Sonia Bompastor is confident she can build on the remarkable legacy of Emma Hayes and – crucially – win the one trophy that eluded the former Blues manager, the Champions League.
The feeling at Kingsmeadow (and at Stamford Bridge, where a portion of this season’s fixtures will be played) is that if anyone can finally lift the magic trophy with the twisted handles, it’s the French coach – who remains the only person to win it as both player and manager. “We have all the quality in this squad to win it,” said Sonia, who is on a four-year contract.
After a pre-season tour of the States, the action starts at Kingsmeadow with the visit of Dutch team Feyenoord for a friendly on Saturday at noon. Then the Women's Super League season starts on Friday 20 September with an opener under the floodlights at 7pm.
She’s been busy meeting staff and players, assembling a new backroom team (Hayes having taken several key colleagues with her to manage the USA national side) and moving her family from Lyon to Battersea, where her four children under 10 start school this week.
The pre-season warm-up tour of the States, following in the studmarks of the men, saw the Blues return unbeaten with victories over Gotham FC and Arsenal.
“I’m so happy and excited,” said Sonia of her new London challenge. “I can’t wait to get started. I’m lucky to have this opportunity to show who I am as a manager.”
Modest, but fiercely focused, Sonia was asked, at a press conference in the media room at the Bridge, to sum up her character. “I’m quiet,” she said. “I like to enjoy life, but as a manager I’m very competitive. I can be a bad loser! I hate to lose, and in a club like Chelsea the results are the most important.”
There have been quite a few comings and goings during the summer – unsurprisingly with a strong French accent on the arrivals. Newcomers include French strikers Sandy Baltimore, 24, and Louna Ribadeira, 20 (who has gone straight back on loan to Paris FC), and French midfielder Oriane Jean-Francois. Also signed, experienced English full-back Lucy Bronze and Spanish midfielder Julia Bartel, 20.
The players bidding farewell, Fran Kirby, who has joined Brighton, Maren Mjelde, Mellie Leupolz (now at Real Madrid), Russian Alsu Abdullina (now back in Moscow), defender Jess Carter (now in the States, reunited with former Blues goalie Ann-Katrin Berger), Katerina Svitkova, Jelena Cankovic and Emily Orman.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
