Chelsea are currently navigating a period of transition, and head coach Sonia Bompastor told Sky Sports that rebuilding a club of this stature takes time. Her comments, while sounding almost cliché, capture the reality of a side that has experienced considerable upheaval over the past two years.
The first major shift came when Bompastor succeeded the legendary Emma Hayes, a change that alone marked the end of an era. Shortly thereafter, in February, Paul Green departed as head of women’s football, further unsettling the structure that Hayes and Green had built together.
Their partnership had delivered unprecedented success, a benchmark that is difficult to maintain and even harder to replicate. Bompastor’s task has been to keep the momentum alive while forging a new identity. In her inaugural season she guided Chelsea to an unbeaten domestic treble, a feat many attribute in part to Hayes’ lingering influence. However, the second campaign exposed the gaps that had begun to appear; the team no longer resembled the dominant force it once was, and a fresh chapter seemed inevitable.
Entering her third pre‑season, Bompastor says she now feels the club’s full backing to shape that new chapter. "I think now I understand what the club is about a lot more," she explained. "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." Last season Chelsea captured only the League Cup and slipped to third place behind Manchester City and Arsenal, ending a six‑year run of WSL titles. Bompastor reflected on that 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. 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 window has already begun to feel like a fresh start, especially in terms of personnel.
Long‑standing figures such as former captain Millie Bright have retired, while iconic striker Sam Kerr headed to the United States. Midfield stalwarts Niamh Charles, Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd also 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 has been a blend of seasoned veterans and promising youngsters.
The arrivals of Ireland international Katie McCabe and 18‑year‑old English prospect Nelly Las illustrate that balance. Bompastor praised McCabe without hesitation, noting that the defender’s influence on squad standards and behaviours was already evident. "She has already started to impact the squad in terms of the behaviours and the standards," Bompastor said, adding that she is delighted to have McCabe wearing the blue shirt. Las, a Leicester product who has already logged 16 WSL appearances and featured for England’s youth sides, represents the club’s commitment to nurturing talent.
"It's important to have the right balance between experienced players, but also the youth into the squad," Bompastor explained. "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 new cohort must honour the club’s legacy while carving out a distinct path. Senior figures, regardless of how long they have been at the club, are expected to lead by example.
Defender Ellie Carpenter, who joined only a year ago but already boasts multiple trophies, is poised to assume 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.
Now it's our turn to do that, follow in their footsteps and to build on what Chelsea is as a club," Carpenter told Sky Sports. "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 that continues to elude the Blues is the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Historically, Chelsea’s recruitment has been geared toward European glory, assuming domestic success would follow. Bompastor herself is a Champions League winner, having lifted the trophy with Lyon, which was a key factor in her appointment.
Carpenter, new striker Melvine Malard, defender Kadeisha Buchanan, and veteran Lucy Bronze (now on a fresh Chelsea contract) all have Champions League experience, yet none have won it in the Chelsea jersey. "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: "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 comes with wearing the Chelsea badge is intense and unrelenting. Bompastor has learned to live with that pressure: "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 onto the pitch." In summary, the Blues are undergoing a metamorphosis.
Consistent evolution was a hallmark of Hayes’ tenure, and Bompastor hopes to replicate that adaptability. By blending seasoned leaders with emerging talent, reinforcing a culture of high standards, and keeping the Champions League within reach, Chelsea aims to write the next chapter of its storied history while staying true to the winning ethos that defines the club.