Chelsea are in the midst of a rebuilding phase, and head coach Sonia Bompastor told Sky Sports that the club needs time to re‑establish itself. Her remarks were not a typical pundit sound‑bite but a genuine insight into the challenges the team faces as they head into the new Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign.
The last two years have been anything but calm for the Blues. The first major shake‑up came when Bompastor succeeded the legendary Emma Hayes. Shortly after, the club suffered another blow when Paul Green, who had overseen women’s football alongside Hayes, departed in February.
Together, Hayes and Green had steered Chelsea to an era of unprecedented triumphs – a standard that is difficult to maintain and even harder to replicate. Bompastor inherited a squad that was still riding the wave of Hayes’ influence. In her debut season she managed to secure an unbeaten domestic treble, a feat that many attributed in part to the foundations laid by her predecessor.
However, the second season laid bare the reality that Chelsea was no longer the same side that dominated for years; a new chapter was beginning to unfold. Now entering her third pre‑season with the club, Bompastor says she feels the full backing of Chelsea’s hierarchy. "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." Chelsea’s domestic performance last season reflected the transitional nature of the side. They captured the League Cup but slipped to third place in the WSL, behind Manchester City and Arsenal – the first time in six years that they failed to clinch the league title.
Bompastor reflected on the season: "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 that the rebuild is not just about tactics or personnel, but also about culture.
"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 signalled a fresh start, particularly in terms of player turnover. Long‑time stalwarts such as former captain Millie Bright have retired, while iconic forward Sam Kerr has moved to the United States.
Midfielders Niamh Charles, Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd also left, 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 internationals and promising youngsters. Katie McCabe arrived as a proven leader, instantly adding to the squad’s standards and professionalism.
Bompastor praised her impact: "She has already started to impact the squad in terms of the behaviours and the standards. I'm really pleased she's a Chelsea player now." In contrast, 18‑year‑old forward Nelly Las, signed from Leicester, represents the club’s investment in youth.
Las has already logged 16 WSL appearances over the past two seasons and has featured for England’s youth sides. "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, given the club’s storied history.
The task now is to honour that legacy while forging a new identity that aligns with the standards Bompastor has set. Senior figures, regardless of how long they have been at the club, will be crucial in bridging the gap.
Defender Ellie Carpenter, who joined only a year ago, exemplifies this transition. A multiple‑trophy winner, she 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 success, assuming domestic dominance would follow.
Bompastor herself is a Champions League winner with Lyon, and her staff includes former winners such as Lucy Bronze, who has lifted the European crown five times, and Kadeisha Buchanan. New signings Melvine Malard and veteran defender Kadeisha Buchanan also bring continental experience. "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 this ambition: "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 Bompastor has learned to embrace it.
"I've never been in a place before where the scrutiny is so high like at Chelsea, but I'm comfortable with it," she reflected. "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 undergoing a metamorphosis.
The blend of experienced internationals, emerging talents, and a clear cultural blueprint aims to restore the club to its former heights while adapting to a new footballing landscape. As the season approaches, the Blues will seek to balance the weight of history with the promise of a fresh era, hoping to add more silverware – especially that elusive Champions League trophy – to their illustrious cabinet.