The 156-time-capped former French international replaces Emma Hayes, who after 12 years in charge left the Blues this summer to take over the USA Women’s National Team.
Bompastor leaves Les Fenottes after a glittering playing career which saw her pick up 6 Division 1 Féminine titles, and 2 UEFA Women’s Champions League titles. Additionally, her reign in charge has seen OL win a further 3 D1 titles, the 2021-2022 UWCL trophy and the Coupe de France Féminine. In doing so, she also became the first women to lift Europe’s biggest prize as a player and a coach.
However, she will have a tough job on her hands to continue the success of Hayes as Chelsea seek to win a monumental 6th WSL title on the bounce, as well as reclaiming both domestic cups and finally scaling the mountain of winning the Champions League after several recent near-misses.
In addition, Bompastor’s in-tray at Cobham already has plenty of puzzles which need to be solved if she is going to have a successful tenure in West London.
1. The Keeper Conundrum
When Chelsea signed Hannah Hampton last summer, it was met with a mixture of scepticism and derision. She was type-cast as being the 4th choice, there was speculation about a loan deal and it was assumed she’d barely see any minutes. This wouldn’t be ideal, of course, for an extremely talented young goalkeeper who has ambitions of usurping Mary Earps at the international level for England.
There was also the impeccably good Ann-Katrin Berger, and also Zećira Mušović who wowed fans with multiple impressive showings at the World Cup. This was before even factoring in Nicky Evrard, the Belgian shot-stopper who was viewed as a coup by the Blues when her free transfer was secured in February 2023 ahead of the summer.
Flash forward 12 months and arguably Hampton has at the moment secured the No. 1 jersey at Chelsea. Berger has departed for pastures new amidst something of a sad cloud having lost her premier spot, whilst Mušović has rotated in and out of the side consistently. Evrard is very much on the fringes after a lukewarm loan to Brighton was curtailed by injury.
Bompastor was very much someone who did not rotate her goalkeeper at Lyon unless absolutely necessary - it did help that it was Christiane Endler, considered by many to be the world’s best, or at least within the top 3. At Chelsea, she’ll have to make a decision as to whether Hampton retains the coveted starting role, or indeed if Mušović usurps her. If instead, she chooses to rotate, there could be opportunities for all 3 names - Evrard included - to stake a claim, but this could prove disruptive in the longer term.
2. Life post-Fran Kirby
A few seasons ago, it seemed unthinkable to consider a first-choice Chelsea XI that did not feature Fran Kirby prominently. Capable of endless creativity, boundless energy, an eye for the pass and a brilliant finisher to boot, there was a time when Kirby was undoubtedly not only the top player in the WSL but arguably the best in the world in her role.
Unfortunately, a mixture of injuries and illness has curtailed her prime and disrupted her career, to the point that her leaving the Blues at the point of contract expiry was less a shock and more a sad realisation of the inevitability of the relentless passing of time. There is no doubt that a fully fit Fran Kirby is still a potent weapon for any side, but getting to that stage is not easy. Additionally, Emma Hayes spoke candidly about Kirby’s frustrations playing a diminished role for the Blues, despite her fairytale ending at Old Trafford.
Sonia Bompastor therefore needs to find a new creative lynchpin for the Champions. The obvious option is Catarina Macario. Bompastor re-unites with the USA international at Chelsea, who is finally over her injury worries and has already started to demonstrate to English fans her quality and skill.
Although Macario is the premier name, Bompastor has never been averse to making surprise choices and she could plump for someone else. The Blues have a number of terrific options for the role, including Lauren James, Guro Reiten, Sjoeke Nüsken, Jelena Čanković or even youngster Maika Hamano.
3. Coping For Six Months Without Sam
Sam Kerr’s ACL injury in January threatened to deal a heavy blow to Chelsea’s title aspirations, and subsequent injuries to the forward line did take a toll on them.
With the Australian superstar not expected to realistically return consistently until 2025, there is a need for players to step up to cover the large number of goals that will be lost in her absence. Mia Fishel looked like she was starting to adapt better to Chelsea’s system before her own ACL injury several weeks later ended her season, whilst Mayra Ramirez’s time so far at Chelsea has been plagued by injuries.
Bompastor will be aware of the quality that Ramirez at her best possesses, however. The battering ram centre-forward was able to bully Barcelona continuously at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in the UWCL 1st leg and showed a similar ruthless edge as she systematically took Manchester United apart to secure the WSL title. If she is afforded better protection from referees, and indeed can stay fit, she looks likely to be the best bet to fill the void.
That said, Bompastor will also be looking to the wide areas to support. Aggie Beever-Jones has had an impressive 1st full season back at Chelsea, whilst Lauren James’s goalscoring exploits secured her the PFA Fans Player of the Year award. With other options like Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd expected to chip in - and rumours of a reunion of Delphine Cascarino- Bompastor will hope to fill the gaps until her other main centre-forwards are fit again.
4. The Names On the Fringes
One of the greatest successes of Emma Hayes’s time at Chelsea was her uncanny ability to keep a large squad relatively happy. This was achieved through a combination of regular rotation and extremely strong personal skills.
Sonia Bompastor inherits a Chelsea dressing room which is incredibly close-knit and mentally strong, however, there are some players who will potentially be considering their options. It’s unlikely that Evrard will want to remain as 3rd choice, so a solution must be found. Aniek Nouwen will return to fitness in the early part of the season, but will she be keen to slot in as 5th or even 6th choice centre-back, having played and impressed with consistent minutes at AC Milan on loan?
In the midfield, both Sophie Ingle and Jelena Čanković have seen their minutes drastically reduced in the last season, with the return to fitness for Melanie Leupolz and the surprise success of Sjoeke Nüsken in a more advanced role, but Bompastor will likely want to count on their experience and could look to retain at least one of them. Will they be happy to be a rotational option? This is before even considering Kateřina Svitková, currently on loan at Sparta Prague after multiple injuries and very few opportunities.
Finally, there’s Maika Hamano, who came in at the end of the season to make a significant impact in several games for Chelsea and ultimately picked up her 1st WSL winners medal in the process. However, she was very much on the periphery at first and decisions need to be made as to whether a year playing every single week on loan might be more beneficial than sporadic minutes off the bench or in cup competitions.
5. You Can’t Win Nothing With Kids
Emma Hayes’s final 24 months at Chelsea were marked with a conscious decision to move on older squad members and try and reduce the average age. With the likes of Ji So-Yun, Magda Eriksson, Pernille Harder, Fran Kirby, Maren Mjelde, Drew Spence and Jonna Andersson all departing, the average has dropped notably, with the likes of Erin Cuthbert and Millie Bright now the de-facto ‘leaders’.
In addition, Chelsea have started building for the future. The likes of Lexi Potter and Lucy Watson have impressed on loan, whilst the talented Brooke Aspin, Wieke Kaptein and Alejandre Bernabe have already been snapped up. Amy Claypole, Katie Cox and Ashanti Akpan have all progressed through the illustrious Cobham Academy, hoping to emulate the success of Aggie Beever-Jones. Other names will join them as Chelsea look to mould a squad in the long term which can continue to compete at the highest level.
Will Sonia Bompastor look to some of these young players to support the squad, or will she instead decide their development is better suited out on loan? Certainly the likes of Wieke Kaptein - already a full Dutch international and title winner - look like they could contribute something, despite their tender age. However, they will get the opportunity to show what they are capable of is another matter entirely.
The Final Word
Overall, the appointment of Sonia Bompastor is a fascinating one at Chelsea. Already a huge character herself, she steps into a side accustomed to dominating domestically and stands in the shadow of one of English football’s greatest-ever managers. She also inherits a dressing room full of strong characters who are hard-coded to want to win at every single opportunity, a trait which Bompastor herself has demonstrated in droves.
It’s certainly not an easy job for someone who has so far only excelled in France, however, doing well in England could continue to increase Bompastor’s impressive coaching reputation. At just 43 years of age, if she was successful, she could no doubt continue the Chelsea dynasty for a number of years and ensure they retain their place as the dominant club of the 2020s in English women’s football.