Bompastor hopes to find balance between new philosophy and Hayes´ legacy

Sonia Bompastor says she welcomes the comparisons to Emma Hayes as she looks to build her own legacy at Chelsea.

Hayes departed the club at the end of last season having clinched a fifth consecutive Women’s Super League trophy, and seventh overall, as she bowed out following a trophy-laden 12-year spell.

Bompastor was appointed as her successor in May this year and began life in the WSL with a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend.

It was the Blues’ first home match without Hayes in the dugout since July 2012, and Bompastor says she is looking forward to building on her predecessor’s success.

“It’s normal for people to compare because she had such great success here,” Bompastor told Sky Sports.

“I’m really thankful to Emma for the legacy she left me. She had an amazing period, and she had great results and the transition takes some time.

“I’m fine [with the comparisons] because Emma is a person and a coach who has a lot of good qualities, so I don’t feel like people are comparing me to a bad person.

“If I can have the same success as she had at Chelsea, I will be the first person to be happy about that, even if I’m someone different. I’m not Emma Hayes, I have my own personality, I’m trying to bring my own ideas. Yes, some things maybe will be the same and some of those will be different.

“I try to find the good balance between building from the legacy Emma left and also trying to bring my own philosophy, own vision to the club.”

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— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) September 26, 2024

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd scored the opening goal of Bompastor’s tenure, but it was far from a convincing performance from the Blues, who managed the same number of shots as their opponents (13), but less on target (four to Villa’s five).

The Frenchwoman also has a possession-based style, but her side finished the contest with narrowly less than Villa in that match (47.4%).

Bompastor acknowledged the challenges of the team trying to adapt to her style but is confident last season’s top scorers will soon settle into their new rhythm.

“I’m very happy with the way the players are adapting to all these new things,” she added.

“It takes a lot of time, but when you are a coach at a high level, you don’t have time. It’s about getting the results since the beginning until the end.

“But the players are adjusting very well, they are really open-minded and happy to learn. We are still in the beginning of the season, and it’s normal that we are not quite in the place we want to be yet, but not far. We still have work to be done.”

Chelsea will play WSL newcomers Crystal Palace in their first away match of the campaign on Friday.