Chelsea Women has announced that head coach Sonia Bompastor has extended her contract through 2030.
“I am delighted to extend my stay here,” Bompastor said. “I want to thank the club for their unwavering support and the trust they have shown in me. It’s a privilege to lead this team, and I could not be prouder to represent Chelsea.
“Our success as a team is built on grit, resilience and intensity, and we do not settle for anything less than winning. We have so much left to fight for, we are competing on four fronts, and we will give everything, every single day, to make our supporters proud.”
Bompastor joined Chelsea in May 2024 from Lyon, where she became the first person to win the Champions League as both a player and a manager. In her debut season, she led the Blues to an unbeaten domestic treble, lifting the Barclays Women’s Super League title, FA Cup and Subway League Cup. Chelsea also secured a historic invincible league campaign, collecting a record 60 points and winning the WSL for an unprecedented sixth consecutive year.
The contract extension comes during a period of current poor form, with some supporters questioning whether Bompastor is the right manager for the job.
Current Performance and Fan Concerns
Many believe Chelsea have not lived up to last season’s standards. According to Opta, Chelsea have underperformed their expected goals more than any other team in the WSL this season, scoring 24 goals from an expected 29. They have also managed just two shots on target across their games against Arsenal and Manchester City.
Back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City have left the defending champions, who have won the Women’s Super League for the past six seasons, 12 points behind the leaders with eight games remaining. It is an unfamiliar position for a club accustomed to dominance, but it does not automatically justify a managerial change.
Following the 5–1 defeat to Manchester City, Bompastor made comments that some interpreted as blaming a lack of squad depth for Chelsea’s struggles. The French manager later clarified that she was referring specifically to injuries affecting key positions rather than the overall quality of the squad.
“I tried to say the squad depth has been affected by key players missing in key positions. That’s probably the main reason we are in this situation,” she said.
“English is not my first language, and maybe because of the language barrier, I didn’t express that clearly.”
Frustration among supporters has also been fuelled by Chelsea’s inactivity in the transfer window and the lack of contract renewals. However, these decisions fall outside the manager’s remit and sit with recruitment and the club’s ownership. The men’s team were also quiet during the same window. Bompastor herself admitted the club would have liked to be in a stronger position previously, acknowledging lessons learned and the need for more proactive planning going forward.
Sacking the manager after one poor run of results would be a reaction rather than a strategy. It would suggest that Chelsea prioritise short-term reassurance over a long-term plan that was always intended to span multiple seasons.
Injuries and Tactical Factors
Injuries have played a significant role. Chelsea’s injury list has been substantial. Mayra Ramirez has yet to feature this season and suffered a minor setback during rehabilitation just as she was expected to return to training. Sam Kerr has primarily been limited to substitute appearances as she continues her return to action. Aggie Beever Jones and Keira Walsh both missed significant time with ankle injuries, while Niamh Charles and Catarina Macario are still recovering from ACL injuries suffered in November 2024. Lucy Bronze is still being assessed after feeling discomfort in the area where she broke her leg ahead of the Euros.
The club has been miserable at the centre forward position. This was an area that arguably required reinforcement in January, alongside left back, something Chelsea have previously addressed decisively, most notably when they signed Ramirez for a record fee following Kerr’s ACL injury in January 2024.
This level of disruption matters more than it is sometimes acknowledged. When teams are missing leaders and regular starters, both results and performances inevitably suffer.
“I’m happy with the players we have available. We still have a lot of quality, but it doesn’t help when we are competing in four competitions,” Bompastor said.
So what is really going on?
Last season, Chelsea collected a record 60 points in the WSL and went on the longest unbeaten run in league history with 34 matches. That run ended in December, and since then, they have suffered heavy defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City. Chelsea had not lost consecutive WSL matches since 2015, underlining how exceptional the current situation feels.
The underlying issue is not simply a lack of goals, but a tactical shift. Bompastor has increasingly used a system featuring three centre-backs and two advanced wing-backs.
“It’s more about being unpredictable and being able to play with different systems. I think it brings some good possession of the ball and control, being able to play with a back three,” she said earlier in the season.
In practice, this is designed as a back three rather than a back five, with Ellie Carpenter and Sandy Baltimore given aggressive attacking responsibilities to create width in the final third. When it works, the system allows Chelsea’s wide players to exploit space with speed and directness. When it does not, gaps appear between the lines, leaving Chelsea vulnerable on defence.
Chelsea’s attacking play has increasingly relied on the pace of Carpenter, Baltimore and Thompson, but has lacked central creativity to complement them. While few players can replicate Lauren James’ influence when fully fit, the absence of a reliable deputy has been felt. Kaptein’s adaptation to a more advanced role has shown promise, but it remains a work in progress.
Despite the league title now appearing out of reach, Chelsea remain in the League Cup final and the FA Cup, and are automatically qualified for the Champions League quarter finals. There are still realistic objectives to play for this season.
The decision to extend Bompastor’s contract until 2030 reflects Chelsea’s belief that the current downturn represents a phase rather than a reason for change.
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