Chelsea boss makes 'blame' admission as Champions League target set

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor says she is prepared to take the "blame" if the Blues fail to win the Champions League during her tenure and insists she has a "really clear" vision to guide the club to success.

Bompastor took over from legendary Chelsea boss Emma Hayes this summer, joining the club following a trophy-laden stint in charge of French side Lyon. The Blues won 14 major trophies under their former manager but the Champions League remains the one piece of silverware that has always eluded them.

Having tasted European success as both a player and manager at Lyon, Bompastor is hopeful she can end Chelsea's long wait for the greatest prize in club football. However, she says she does not feel pressure to deliver the trophy straight away.

"If we don't achieve that goal I will be the one you need to blame. I am fine with that," Bompastor told BBC Radio 5 Live's Women's Football Weekly podcast. "Every day the vision in my head is really clear. I just came here to win with the team, with the squad and with the club every title.

"I know the club already won a lot of titles and had such a great success in past years. I just want to help them make the next step."

Chelsea will kickstart their Champions League campaign in October, having automatically qualified for the group stages after winning the Women's Super League (WSL) last season. The Blues have reached the semi-final stage of the competition in each of the last two seasons, both times losing out to current holders Barcelona, who also beat Chelsea in the 2021 final.

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"They were so close last season to being in the final of the Champions League," Bompastor said. "I will try to bring my experience and winning mentality to make the next step, but there is no pressure on that.

"If you want to be honest, when you come to this club you get everything you need to perform. The club has all the infrastructures we need to perform, they have the players, they have the quality in the staff."

On her decision to leave Lyon and join Chelsea, Bompastor added: "I really love to be challenged. It's been part of my life when I was a player and even when I’m a coach. I need to be challenged every day, every week.

"This is why I love doing this job. Coming to Chelsea is a big move, but this is a place where I wanted to be because I could feel the ambition from the sporting directors and all the club. I just felt this is the place where I want to be."