Chelsea Women: Sonia Bompastor and Ellie Carpenter in the Moment
August 25, 2026 ·
Chelsea Women are undergoing a transition period under coach Sonia Bompastor, focused on returning to dominance in the WSL and success in the Champions League after a less than satisfactory last season.
Chelsea Women: Sonia Bompastor and Ellie Carpenter in the Moment
According to Skysports.
Background
Sonia Bompastor, previously known as a successful coach, is now facing a new challenge at Chelsea Women. He is expected to continue Emma Hayes' legacy of leadership while creating a new identity for the team in the Superliga Femenina. With experience and a better understanding of the club, Bompastor has the ambition to bring Chelsea back to success.
Why this is important
Chelsea Women's transition moment under coach Sonia Bompastor is very important to determine the club's direction in the Superliga Femenina and Champions League. With many changes to the team structure, including the resignation of Paul Green, Bompastor must rebuild the team's confidence and performance to compete at the highest level. Success in the coming season will be an indicator of Bompastor's ability to manage the team and return Chelsea to winning ways.
Main Points
- Chelsea Women: Sonia Bompastor and Ellie Carpenter in the Moment.
- Chelsea Women are undergoing a transition period under coach Sonia Bompastor, focused on returning to dominance in the WSL and success in the Champions League after a less than satisfactory last season.
- Chelsea Women: Sonia Bompastor and Ellie Carpenter on Blues' transitional moment as they target WSL and Champions League.
Chelsea Women are currently in a moment of transition that requires time to rebuild the club. Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor shares her views with Sky Sports ahead of the new WSL season. The past two years have seen many changes, starting with the appointment of Bompastor as Emma Hayes' replacement, followed by the shock resignation of Paul Green as head of women's football in February. Together with Hayes, they oversaw years of unprecedented success, an achievement that is difficult to sustain and even more difficult to repeat. However, that is the task that Bompastor is now carrying out. In his first season, he managed to maintain the team's performance by achieving a domestic treble without losing, although some people argue that this was still influenced by Hayes' leadership style. His second season demonstrated the fact that Chelsea is not the same team as the past and a new era awaits. Now, in his third pre-season with Chelsea, Bompastor feels he has the support of the club to continue this project. "I think now I understand better what the club wants," he said. "I also understand what we want to achieve and how I can contribute.
"It's important to be in a place where I feel the trust and support of the club. Although I know my job, we need to get good results for me to stay longer, but it is also important to feel that we have time to rebuild the team so we can compete with the best." Chelsea only won the League Cup last season and finished third in the league, behind Manchester City and Arsenal. It was the first time in six years that they had not won the WSL title. Bompastor reflected, "We wanted last season to be more successful because Chelsea is a club that is used to winning. We only won one trophy, but if analyzed, we have many valuable lessons to learn and they are very important for us to reflect on.
"We talk a lot about the environment and culture we want to create here at Chelsea. This has to do with standards, behavior, how you perform every day, how committed you are to working hard to achieve your goals, and what type of behavior you want to demonstrate both on and off the pitch.
“Who are we as a team? How do we want people to talk about Chelsea? These things are very important for us to be able to achieve the goals we have. Chelsea is a club that is used to winning and we need to make sure we put everything together so we can achieve that.
"I'm quite happy with the squad of players I have, the quality we have, but it's also important to include the right mentality." This summer has had the feel of a new beginning, especially in terms of players. Several players who have been the face of Chelsea over the years have left. Former captain Millie Bright retires, legendary goalscorer Sam Kerr moves to the US. Niamh Charles, Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd also moved.
"We lost some very important players in terms of environment and culture," Bompastor said. "Some of them have been here for years and it's difficult to replace them.
"So, it is our job, the staff and the club, to think about how and what is the best way to replace them. It's about recruiting, but it also comes back to the environment and culture we want to create.
"We also have a great leader, who has the right mentality when you are on the pitch, which is winning games. Off the pitch, it is about the necessary behavior and showing commitment every day so that we can work hard on the pitch to achieve our goals." Chelsea's transfer strategy of combining experience and youth is clear, reflected in two of their four summer signings so far, Katie McCabe and Nelly Las. McCabe needs no introduction. Bompastor himself stated to Sky Sports that he has nothing to say about the defender's qualities, and it is clear that he has greatly contributed to replacing some of the leadership Chelsea have lost.
"He is already starting to have an influence on the squad in terms of behavior and standards," added Bompastor. "I'm very happy he is now a Chelsea player." Las, on the other hand, is an exciting 18-year-old prospect who joins from Leicester. She has appeared in 16 WSL matches over the last two seasons, and has played for England's youth teams.
"It's important to have the right balance between experienced players, but also youth in the squad," said Bompastor. "Players who have the ability to play in different positions are also very important for me.
"I am a coach who likes working with young players, investing time in developing them and I am very keen to bring these players into the squad and see how they can develop to contribute to the success we will achieve in the future." There has always been pressure to win at Chelsea given their history, and now they must find a balance - maintaining that legacy while also forging a new path and living up to the standards Bompastor has set. It is also the responsibility of the senior players in the team - no matter how long they have played for the club. One of them is defender Ellie Carpenter. He may have only been at Chelsea for a year, but as a multiple trophy winner and regular starter, he is likely to now take on a leadership role among the group.
"Chelsea are going through a transition phase at the moment. Many legends have gone and they left a huge legacy," he told Sky Sports. "Now it's our turn to do the same, follow in their footsteps and build what Chelsea is as a club.
"As a footballer, you love opportunities and moments like this in your career and this is the perfect time to take on that role at this club.
"Our goal this season is to fight to win back the trophy and show what Chelsea is all about. We want to do it as a team, win that way and enjoy it, and hope to get a good result too.
“We have a great team this season and preseason feels good, so I'm really excited.” One way this squad can etch their name in Chelsea history is by winning the one trophy that continues to elude them - the Champions League. So far, Chelsea's recruitment strategy has been directed towards European glory while maintaining domestic trophies. Bompastor once won as coach with Lyon and was one of the reasons for his appointment in 2024. Carpenter was in that winning squad, as were new striker Melvine Malard and defender Kadeisha Buchanan. McCabe won it with Arsenal. Lucy Bronze - who signed a new contract with Chelsea this summer - has been declared European champion five times. However, none of them have ever achieved it with Chelsea, and every year, we ask the same question: will this be their year?
"Winning the Champions League is one of our main goals," said Bompastor. "We will work as hard as possible to achieve it and I know everyone expects Chelsea to always perform at their best.
"But competition in Europe is increasing. Many clubs are now in a position to compete for the Champions League. I don't want to shy away from our ambitions, but I also know it's difficult.
"But it is a trophy that is missing at the club and we will do our best to fight for it." "That's what Chelsea always wanted," added Carpenter. "That's their ambition, what the fans want, what everyone here wants and what we work on every day.
“The squad is young, but a lot of people in the team have won before, so it really helps to bring experience and what it takes to win.
"But we'll just go from game to game this season. We don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves. When we enjoy football, we play our best football." While it may seem tiring to keep discussing the Champions League every year, that is the kind of attention Chelsea is attached to and despite changes elsewhere, that will never change. This may be one of the lessons Bompastor has learned in his two years at the club, and something he should instill in the squad he is building.
"I've never been anywhere before where the attention is as high as at Chelsea, but I feel comfortable with that," he reflected. "It means people care about us and really think we are a very important club. That's what comes with our standards and Chelsea being one of the best clubs in the world, so we need to feel comfortable with that.
"We need to make sure as we go into this season, we have no regrets and give our best every time we step on the pitch." What is certain is that Chelsea is in the process of changing into something new. Consistent evolution is one of the keys to Hayes' success, and Bompastor hopes the same is true now.
What happened next
With increasingly strong support from the club, Bompastor is expected to be able to implement its plans to build a competitive team in the Superliga Femenina. Chelsea's main focus is to achieve positive results in the WSL and Champions League, which will be a big challenge considering the changes that have occurred. Players such as Ellie Carpenter and Sam Kerr are expected to contribute significantly to achieving this goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's happening with Chelsea Women at the moment?
Chelsea Women are in a moment of transition that requires time to rebuild the club.
Who has confirmed his views on the Chelsea Women situation?
Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor shares her views with Sky Sports.
Why are Chelsea Women experiencing this moment of transition?
This moment of transition comes after the last two years have seen many changes, including the resignation of Paul Green as head of women's football.
What changes have occurred at Chelsea Women?
Sonia Bompastor was appointed as coach replacing Emma Hayes, and the team experienced a decline in form, only winning the League Cup and finishing in third place.
What does Sonia Bompastor hope for the future of Chelsea Women?
Bompastor hopes to get support from the club and feels confident in rebuilding the team so it can compete with the best.
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