Chelsea Women to confirm Sonia Bompastor as Emma Hayes replacement

Chelsea Women will confirm Sonia Bompastor as their head coach next week after Emma Hayes' departure.

Hayes pulled the curtain down on a glittering 12-year tenure with the Blues earlier this week, claiming a seventh and final Women's Super League title in her last season with the club. She has since taken over as the USWNT new head coach, flying out to New York on Tuesday to begin preparations for the summer's Olympic Games.

A Champions League winner as both a player and a manager, Bompastor's European pedigree is extensive and precisely what Chelsea need as they bid to continue their evolution after the Hayes era.

While Bompastor's arrival to Chelsea have been in the pipeline for some time, the Portuguese coach could win a second European title with her Lyon side on Saturday as they face defending champions Barcelona in the final in Bilbao.

With Sunday's showdown set, the BBC have reported that an agreement has been reached between the two clubs to postpone any official announcement of Bompastor's hiring until after the final.

Bompastor will bring a number of new staff with her to west London, including her assistant Camille Abily. With most of Hayes' backroom staff joining in her in moving across the pond, including long-time assistant Denise Reddy, Bompastor will need to fill a number of big shoes.

Hayes announced in November that she would leave Chelsea at the end of the WSL season, citing the need for more family time with her son amid increasing demands on club managers as rationale.

The 47-year-old cut Chelsea into one of women's football's most impressive behemoths in her 12 years in charge, claiming a staggering 16 trophies during her time in west London.

The debate around who could possibly fill such a gap was fierce