Chelsea announced on Saturday the departure at the end of the season of Emma Hayes, historic coach of the women’s section, to take on new responsibilities “outside” the English championship. Aged 47, the native Londoner has brought Chelsea into the big leagues since her arrival in 2012.
Under his reign, the “Blues” notably won six league titles and five national cups, in addition to reaching the final of the Champions League in 2021 (4-0 defeat against Barcelona), a first for the club. A recognized personality in England, Hayes “will leave the club at the end of the season to pursue a new opportunity outside the WSL (the English women’s championship, editor’s note) and club football,” Chelsea said.
“Given everything she has brought to Chelsea in over a decade, and the legacy she leaves behind, we never wanted to stand in her way when she felt it was the right time to take on a new challenge,” said sports directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, quoted in a press release.
