Chelsea find themselves in a period of transition, and head coach Sonia Bompastor admits that rebuilding a club of this stature takes time. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the new Women's Super League campaign, Bompastor offered a candid assessment that goes beyond typical punditry.
Over the past two seasons the Blues have experienced a cascade of changes, beginning with Bompastor’s appointment after the departure of long‑time manager Emma Hayes. The shock exit of Paul Green as head of women’s football in February added another layer of upheaval; Hayes and Green had overseen an era of unprecedented triumphs that is difficult both to sustain and to replicate. Bompastor’s first season in charge concluded with an unbeaten domestic treble, a feat many attribute in part to the lingering influence of Hayes. However, her second campaign laid bare the reality that Chelsea were no longer the same side that dominated for years, signalling the arrival of a new era.
Now entering her third pre‑season, Bompastor says she feels the club’s hierarchy is fully behind her plans to reshape the team while still demanding immediate results. "I think now I understand what the club is about a lot more," she told Sky Sports. "I also understand what we want to achieve and bringing my input into that.
It's good to be in a place where I feel the confidence and the trust coming from the hierarchy in the club. As much as I know my job, we need to get good results in order for me to stay as long as possible, but it's also important to feel like we also have time to rebuild the team in order for us to compete against the best." Chelsea’s league performance last season underscored the need for change. The team captured only the League Cup, finished third behind Manchester City and Arsenal, and missed out on the WSL title for the first time in six years.
Bompastor reflected on the disappointment: "We wanted last season to be a more successful season because Chelsea is a club who is used to winning. We only won one trophy, but if you analyse it, we have some good learnings to take and that's really important for us to reflect on." She emphasized the importance of culture and standards: "We spoke a lot about the environment and the culture we want to create here at Chelsea. It's a lot about standards, behaviours, how you show up every day, how much you are committing to work hard to achieve your goals and what are the type of behaviours you want to show up every day, off and on pitch.
Who do we want to be as a team? How do we want people to talk about Chelsea?
These things are really important for us to be able to achieve the goals we have." The summer transfer window has already hinted at a fresh start, particularly in terms of personnel. Long‑standing figures such as former captain Millie Bright, prolific striker Sam Kerr, and regulars Niamh Charles, Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd have all departed, taking with them years of experience and a collection of trophies. "We lost some really important players in terms of the environment and culture," Bompastor admitted. "Some of them had been here for many years and it's difficult to replace them.
So it's for us, the staff and club, to think about how and what is the best way to replace them. It's about the recruitment, but also again linked back to the environment and the culture we want to create." Chelsea’s recruitment philosophy this summer blends seasoned internationals with promising youth. Two of the four signings so far—Katie McCabe and 18‑year‑old Nelly Las—exemplify this approach. McCabe, a proven leader, arrived with a reputation that required no introduction.
Bompastor praised her immediate impact on squad standards and behaviour, noting that McCabe’s presence helps fill the leadership void left by departing veterans. Las, a Leicester product who has already logged 16 WSL appearances and featured for England’s youth sides, adds versatility and potential.
"It's important to have the right balance between experienced players, but also the youth into the squad," Bompastor said. "Players having versatility to play in different positions is also really important for me. I'm a manager who really loves to work with young players, to invest time to develop them and I'm really keen to bring these players into the squad and see how they can develop to contribute to the success we will have in the future." The pressure to win at Chelsea is relentless, and the squad must juggle the weight of the club’s legacy with the necessity of forging a new identity.
Senior players, regardless of tenure, are expected to embody the standards set by Bompastor. Defender Ellie Carpenter, although only in her second season, is already stepping into a leadership role. "Chelsea are going through a bit of a transition phase at the moment. A lot of legends have gone and they left such a great legacy," she told Sky Sports.
"Now it's our turn to do that, follow in their footsteps and to build on what Chelsea is as a club. Our aim this season is to fight for those trophies back and show what Chelsea is about. We want to do it as a team, winning in that way and enjoying it and hopefully getting the results on the way as well." One trophy still eludes the Blues: the UEFA Women's Champions League.
While domestic silverware has often arrived almost as an afterthought, European glory has been a strategic priority since the club’s inception. Bompastor herself lifted the Champions League with Lyon, and her staff includes multiple winners—Carpenter, new striker Melvine Malard, defender Kadeisha Buchanan, McCabe (who won with Arsenal), and Lucy Bronze, a five‑time European champion who renewed her contract this summer. Yet none of those accolades have been earned in a Chelsea shirt.
"Winning the Champions League is one of the main goals for us," Bompastor affirmed. "We'll work as hard as possible to achieve that and I know everyone is expecting Chelsea to always be at their best. But the competition now in Europe is getting higher and higher. Many clubs now are in a position where they can compete to win the Champions League.
I don't want to shy away from us and our ambitions, but I also know it's difficult. But that's the one trophy we're missing in the club and we will try as hard as possible to fight for that." Carpenter echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the blend of youth and experience: "It's always what Chelsea want. It's what their ambition is, what the fans want, what everyone here wants and what we work towards every day. This squad is young, but multiple people have won it in the team, so that helps a lot to bring the experience and what it takes to win.
But we're just going to go game‑by‑game this season. We don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves. When we're enjoying football, we're playing our best football." The scrutiny that accompanies Chelsea’s brand is intense. Bompastor admits that the level of attention is unprecedented in her career: "I've never been in a place before where the scrutiny is so high like at Chelsea, but I'm comfortable with it.
It means people care about us and really think we are a really important club. That's what comes with our standards and Chelsea being one of the best clubs in the world, so we need to get comfortable with that. We need to make sure when we go into the season, we don't have any regrets and we give our all any time we step into the pitch." In summary, Chelsea are in the midst of a profound transformation. The club’s strategy hinges on blending seasoned champions with emerging talent, reinforcing a culture of high standards, and pursuing both domestic and European success.
As the new season approaches, the Blues will aim to honour their storied past while writing the next chapter of their history, with the ultimate prize—the Champions League—still waiting to be added to their illustrious trophy cabinet.