‘I am here to win every single title’ – New Chelsea boss Bompastor sets clear target | OneFootball

Chelsea’s new head coach Sonia Bompastor insists that she has only come to the club to win every title and every game.

The new Blues boss spoke to the media for the first time in an official club press conference at Stamford Bridge last week. Bompastor commented on a whole range of topics including her coaching philosophy and style, her ambitions and her expectations for the upcoming season.

Bompastor has huge boots to fill at Stamford Bridge following Emma Hayes’ departure at the end of last season, however, she highlighted her aim of building on Chelsea’s legacy and continuing the team’s all-out winning mentality.

“I’m used to that [pressure], being a former player and manager at Lyon,” Bompastor said. “Emma did a really great job, I just want to build on her legacy. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity after Emma and to show who I am as a manager and a person.

“The pressure is something I really like because it makes me better. I will try really hard to make sure I support them, make this club successful. I’ve already told everyone I am here to win every single title and every single game – that is why I came.”

Bompastor was the first individual to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League title both as a player and a head coach. When asked about her ambition to help Chelsea win the trophy that has alluded them for so long, Bompastor admitted that European glory is a big target.

She said “From the club, you can just feel there are a lot of ambitions. Every trophy is very important, but the Champions League is a special one. The club had success in the past but maybe this is the one that’s missing.

“When I had the meeting with the sporting directors, I said it was something special to win. I had the incredible chance to win it as a player and a manager. I think we have all the infrastructure to win it.”

When asked what she feels has been missing from the side, Bompastor highlighted some of Chelsea’s bad luck in last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final, second leg against FC Barcelona

She said “Chelsea have always been a great team, one of the best in Europe.

“Last season, they were really, really close to getting to the final which I was quite happy and not happy [about]. I felt like not having Chelsea in the final would make me feel better, not having the pressure.

“I just felt like they had really good games against Barcelona, especially away. Sometimes, small details are very important and I just think in the second leg, the difference was maybe not having a player like Mayra [Ramírez] up front and also the red card.

“I just feel the club is in a good place and they are ready to go again, we are ready to go again to compete with the best teams.”

Bompastor went on to discuss Chelsea’s playing style for the upcoming season. She expects her team to work really hard in every game both in and out of possession.

“I want to have a team that is really dominant in the league, in the Champions League,” Bompastor said. “We want to have the ball as much as possible in games. On the mental side, I want the players to be really committed and work really hard on the field. From the defensive side of the game, I want them to work really hard individually and collectively as a team.

“I just want them to enjoy being on the field, playing a good style [of football] and making a point for everyone, scoring a lot of goals. This is what we are going to try to achieve and this is my goal as a manager.”

Chelsea are currently preparing for their pre-season tour fixtures against NJ/NY Gotham FC and Arsenal in the United States. Bompastor is excited to see her side test themselves against top opposition.

She said “Really big games in the beginning. I just said even during pre-season, if it’s a friendly game, you’ll never play friendly games, you always play every game to compete and to get good results.

“We will start with Gotham. They will be in their in-season, so they will be ready. For us, maybe we will have some different goals going into our first game, getting some minutes for the players in their legs.

“I think anytime you step in the field, you just want to win. This is an opportunity to build on the winning mentality for the girls and we want to work on our game model as well.

“I have my own personality, my own vision, my own philosophy, my own game model, so this is a way with the games to make sure we build on what we want to see on the pitch.”

Chelsea’s US tour kicks-off with a fixture against NJ/NY Gotham FC at the Red Bull Arena on Tuesday morning. The Blues then face Arsenal at Audi Field next Sunday evening.