Chelsea have their Emma Hayes replacement! Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor announced as Blues' manager after iconic coach's USWNT switch

Hayes left the Blues at the end of the 2023-24 season after 12 incredible years in charge, that which saw her transform them into the dominant team in English women's football. She won 16 trophies in that time and bid farewell by clinching a fifth successive Women's Super League title in her final game in charge.

Her successor has long been reported to be Bompastor, who has won seven titles in her three seasons at Lyon, and that news has now been confirmed after the 43-year-old coached the French giants in the Champions League final on Saturday, with her last game in charge ending in a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona. Bompastor has won the competition before though, back in 2022, and Chelsea will hope she can repeat that success with them as it is the trophy that the Blues crave the most. The Frenchwoman has signed a four-year deal.

“I am incredibly grateful to join Chelsea," Bompastor said. "It is an institution in English football. I will give my all to this new project to meet the ambitions of the club, the staff and the players. I hope to live up to Emma's legacy and continue the work that has been done in recent years. Let the adventure begin.”

General manager Paul Green added: “The sporting directors and I conducted a thorough and considered recruitment process to identify Emma’s successor. Sonia’s vision, coaching philosophy and winning mentality made her the outstanding candidate. She is a world-class coach with a proven track record of success on the biggest stages that will instantly command respect from the dressing room.”

Bompastor is the only woman to win the Champions League both as a coach and as a player. She was part of the Lyon squad that triumphed in 2011 and 2012, before then delivering the same success as a manager two years ago.

An early appointment means there will be plenty of time for Bompastor to prepare for her first season in charge of Chelsea, with the Blues to enter the 2024-25 campaign looking to win an incredible sixth WSL title in a row.