A big change for Alisha Lehmann! Aston Villa appoint ex-Bayer Leverkusen man as new manager ahead of new WSL season

Villa Women are set to begin the next WSL season with a fresh face at the helm as the club have signed De Pauw on a three-year contract with the option for an additional year. The 42-year-old manager steps in to replace Carla Ward, who decided to step down last month after three successful years in charge and having led the Villans to a seventh-place finish last season.

De Pauw has a notable managerial history, particularly during his tenure at Bayer Leverkusen. Over his two-year stay, he led the team to two top-six finishes in the league, demonstrating his capability to elevate team performance. Prior to his time in Germany, he was at the helm of Twente, where he achieved significant success by leading the team to a league and cup double in 2022. His experience also extends to working with the Dutch FA as a youth coach, further showcasing his comprehensive understanding of football development at various levels.

De Pauw has expressed his admiration for the work done by Ward and her team, acknowledging the solid groundwork laid during her tenure.

"You have to give credit to the organisation, the former manager and her staff, and everything looks good," De Pauw said. "The players are a very big part of it. They’ve grown as a team over the past few seasons and shown that they are a stable factor in the league. I’d like to win something, like every coach. We’ll be doing fine if we end up in the top six, but we have to be ambitious, we have to dream. In the future if we can build towards European football that would be a dream for everyone in the organisation."

As Villa Women prepare for the next season, the focus is on integrating De Pauw’s vision and strategies. The club is poised for a new chapter, with hopes high for continued success and potential breakthroughs.