Chelsea Women’s manager Sonia Bompastre has signed a new contract until 2030.
The decision was taken despite Chelsea being set to miss out on their first Women’s Super League title since 2019.
Chelsea lost 5-1 to leaders Manchester City last weekend and are now 12 points behind WSL leaders Manchester City with eight games remaining.
After the match, Bompastar admitted that if the club’s higher-ups didn’t think he was the right man for the job, he would quit.
However, Chelsea decided to support their head coach in a statement.
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Chelsea.
Chelsea directors Lawrence Stewart and Paul Winstantry said: “The renewal of her contract reflects our belief in her leadership, vision and the stability she brings to the club.”
“We still have a lot of work to do this season as we continue to compete for all the major trophies. I’m really looking forward to the next steps for Sonia and the team both in the short and long term.”
In a press conference on Friday, Bompastre himself said that he feels the support of the club despite the current league disappointments.
“I still feel the support of the club,” she said. “That’s clear. I don’t feel any pressure.
“Maybe I couldn’t express it properly after the[Man City]game because there was a language barrier, but the support was incredible.
“They support the women’s team. They support me and the players. There’s no doubt about that.”
Analysis: Is this deal the boost Chelsea need now?
Chelsea is mostly out of the title picture.
Sam Blitz of Sky Sports:
It’s been a really strange few weeks at Chelsea. Their most recent defeats were to Arsenal and Man City, marking their first consecutive defeat in the league in 11 years.
Even for Bompastre, this is the first time in his managerial career, which lasted nearly 200 games, that he suffered consecutive losses, which is unusual.
But Chelsea’s decision to lean on their head coach could be just the boost the team needs at its worst moment in a decade.
Chelsea still have plenty of room to play this season, although the league title appears to be the new goal set. Manchester United have been eliminated in both the FA Cup fifth round and the League Cup final, and with the Champions League last eight starting at the end of March, they need to turn their form around quickly.
Catch that elusive first Champions League title and any thoughts about the current state of the league will disappear almost instantly. Chelsea have the best team in Europe, so it may be a blessing that the WSL is sitting on the sidelines.
But this new contract is a message to Chelsea’s rivals that they still believe in Bompastre’s project. They’re not going to go away anytime soon.
