French Coach Sonia Bompastor to Lead Chelsea Women’s Team

Chelsea Football Club has announced the appointment of Sonia Bompastor as the new Head Coach of the women’s team starting the 2024/25 season. After a successful stint at Lyon in France, the 43-year-old coach is set to take over from the long-serving Emma Hayes, who left Chelsea after nearly 12 years at the helm.

Upon signing a four-year contract, Bompastor is slated to begin her role on 1 July 2024, bringing her wealth of experience from managing at the highest levels in the women’s game. Chelsea’s general manager praised Sonia’s coaching philosophy and winning mentality, noting her proven track record of success on the big stage.

Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, expressed their confidence in Bompastor as the ideal candidate to continue Emma Hayes’ legacy and lead the team forward. With a vision and values aligned with Chelsea Football Club, Sonia’s appointment has been met with anticipation within the club.

In her statement, Sonia Bompastor expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to lead Chelsea, highlighting the club’s status in English football. She aims to uphold Emma’s legacy and build on the progress made in recent years, setting ambitious goals for the team’s future.

Having represented France 156 times as a player before transitioning to coaching, Bompastor’s coaching journey began at Lyon’s Academy in 2013. Her tenure as Lyon’s first-team head coach since 2021 has been marked by domestic and European success, including back-to-back Division 1 Feminine titles and a historic UEFA Women’s Champions League win.

Sonia Bompastor will be joined by assistants Camille Abily and Theo Rivrin, both prominent figures in French women’s football. Abily, who retired in 2018 after a stellar career with Lyon and the French national team, brings a wealth of experience to the coaching staff.

With a new chapter set to unfold under Bompastor’s leadership, Chelsea fans and the women’s football community eagerly await the next phase of the club’s journey in the upcoming season.