France’s Sonia Bompastor was named as the Chelsea manager on Wednesday, departing Lyon to succeed new U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes in London.
Bompastor has long been considered the favorite to take over the role, with NWSL coaches Casey Stoney and Laura Harvey also on the list according to ESPN, and made it official with a four year deal. A female coach was a priority for Chelsea, per Sky Sports, with the aim of hiring someone who would follow in Hayes’ footsteps as a passionate advocate for the women’s game.
The 43-year-old began her senior managerial career at Lyon in 2021, leading them to three Division 1 titles and triumph in the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2022. Bompastor was also in charge during Lyon’s unbeaten domestic league campaign this season and made the UWCL final, which they lost 2-0 to Barcelona in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday. It’s an impressive feat for Bompastor, who was entrusted to keep Lyon competitive in Europe as they switched from serial winners to top-tier competitors amid more investment in the women’s game.
Bompastor’s Lyon team played in a 4-3-3 frequently and was known for their attacking prowess, with Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg scoring 12 goals in…
