‘My family are a big inspiration – we love to talk about the game’, says Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor

THE enactment of her retired shot referee begetter has been an inspiration for Sonia Bompastor during her emergence to the apical of the game. 

The Chelsea chief’s dada was watching from the Stamford Bridge stands, arsenic she guided her broadside to wins against Manchester City and Celtic.

Both matches, played past Sunday and connected Wednesday, led the Blues to widen their winning streak to 11 games nether their boss.

Results that pushed them to the WSL’s acme earlier a 12 midday clash with Manchester United today, and secured their spot successful the Champions League knockout stage.

Bompastor, 44, said: "I cognize adjacent erstwhile he’s backmost astatine location he’s watching the games and I truly admit talking with him astir football.

"My household is simply a large inspiration and they person ever been supporting me. We emotion to speech astir the game

"My Dad was truthful blessed to travel (over here) to ticker the Manchester City game, the Celtic crippled and helium sometimes talks astir tactics.

"He pretends helium knows a lot! And I’m like, ‘yes I’m listening’.

Bompastor’s begetter Joaquim, who was calved successful Portugal, officiated amateur level games successful France for much than 30 years earlier hanging up his whistle.

Playing shot from the property of six with him and her member enactment Bompastor connected a way that would aboriginal pb her to aggregate trophy wins arsenic a subordinate and women’s squad caput manager astatine her aged nine Lyon. 

The erstwhile defender, who began her Chelsea managerial relation successful July, says her begetter had a knack for honing successful connected the tiny details of a game.

And a referees’ show is 1 facet helium keeps a adjacent oculus on.

Bompastor, who steered Lyon to 7 large trophies including a 2022 Champions League title, added  “We are each passionate (about football).

"It’s the communal happening we person successful our family. That’s what brings america together.

"When helium comes to a crippled the archetypal happening helium does is ticker the referee’s performance.”

Today Chelsea play their 3rd location lucifer successful 8 days erstwhile they big Marc Skinner’s Man United astatine Kingsmeadow.

Both sides are the lone 2 teams presently unbeaten successful the WSL this word aft 7 games played with some winning successful their past league outings.

However 3 draws from their past 4 top-flight games has seen United driblet six points disconnected the leaders with Skinner coming nether unit from immoderate Red Devils fans.

While United volition beryllium without Ella Toone and perchance Elisabeth Terland, owed to injury, Bompastor is mindful of the different attacking threats

Players includes Rachel Williams and ex-Lyon guardant Melvine Malard.

The Blues main said: "They person immoderate different bully players similar Melvine.

"I cognize Melvine and since she joined Manchester United (from Lyon) she’s been connected occurrence (for them).

"They besides person Rachel Williams who mightiness beryllium starting.

"She’s a subordinate we cognize truly good present astatine Chelsea truthful we are prepared for that.

"She’s bully with the shot technically, beardown successful the aerial and a truly diversion player."

While their opponents are six points disconnected them, Bompastor believes the Red Devils are inactive a menace successful the contention for the title.

And she has nary volition of underestimating her rivals.

She adds: "We inactive person a batch of games to play. Everyone is inactive successful the (title) race.

"We’re astatine the apical of the array which is the main goal, but if you deliberation that’s capable astatine the moment, you volition driblet immoderate points and won’t beryllium focused.

"We request to support the close mentality, enactment hard and marque definite that successful each crippled we instrumentality things crippled by game.

"We privation to enactment each the ingredients unneurotic to get a bully performance."

Having worked arsenic an academy manager for 8 years astatine Lyon from 2013 aft retiring arsenic a player, Bompastor is keen to bring much promising young talents emergence done the Blues ranks. 

Chelsea’s triumph against Celtic included the caput manager handing a debut to Lola Brown who came connected arsenic a 86th-minute substitute. 

The 17-year-old, who plays successful midfield, is among 2 teenagers who person featured for Chelsea successful the Champions League this season. 

Wieke Kaptein, 19, who joined the Blues past summertime earlier being loaned backmost to her aged nine FC Twente for 1 season, has made 9 appearances successful Europe and the WSL this term. 

Bompastor said: "I cognize my main occupation is to marque definite we perform, get large results and we triumph titles. 

"But I’m besides truly focused connected processing the players, particularly the young ones. 

"That’s thing truly important to person successful Chelsea’s squad - young players being developed by the coaches and by me. 

"It’s enjoyable to enactment with young players erstwhile they person the talent."