Sonia Bompastor

Early career

Bompastor was born in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, and began playing football at an early age. Of Portuguese origin, both of her parents are from Póvoa de Varzim and most of her family still lives in the area. Bompastor told Ma Chaîne Sport that she always goes to Póvoa when she has the opportunity to do so. She was drawn to football through her father, who was a referee. He took her to many of the games he refereed on the weekends and Bompastor quickly developed an attraction towards the game. Bompastor began her football career in 1988 at US Mer, a local club in a neighboring commune, playing with the club's mixed team. In 1992, she joined US Thoury. That same year, she earned selection to an exclusive female team that was given clearance to train at the Clairefontaine academy by the French Football Federation. The academy had quickly become a high-level training facility for male football players and supporters of women's football wanted younger women to be afforded the same benefits from the facilities as young men. Following vocational training at Clairefontaine, Bompastor moved to amateur team Tours EC. She spent four years at the club before joining ESOF Vendée La Roche-sur-Yon of the Division 1 Féminine in 2000.

Professional career

Bompastor's professional career began with ESOF Vendée La Roche-sur-Yon in 2000. She scored seven goals over her two years with the club before moving to Montpellier HSC in 2002. At Montpellier, Bompastor blossomed…

Bompastor made her international debut for the Bleues on 26 February 2000 in a match against Scotland. She was a member of the squads that participated in the 2001 (her first tournament with France), 2005, and 2009 editions of the UEFA Women's Championship. She also represented France at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Bompastor's strong displays in the 2011 edition, where France finished fourth, saw her named in FIFA's All-Star Team of the Tournament. On 27 September 2008, Bompastor picked up her 100th cap in a crucial UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying match against Iceland, which France won 2–1. She finished her international career with 156 appearances and 19 goals to her name, making her France's eighth most capped player of all time (as of February 2025).

Lyon

After retiring from playing football in 2013, Bompastor moved into a coaching role at Lyon's academy. She managed at the club's academy for eight years. In April 2021, Bompastor was appointed manager of Lyon's first team, making her the first woman to ever take charge of Les Fenottes. During the 2021-22 campaign, her first full season in charge, she impressively led Lyon to a double: Division 1 and UEFA Women's Champions League success. The UWCL triumph in May 2022, where her side beat Barcelona 3-1 in the final, meant Bompastor became the first person to win Europe's top competition as both a player and a head coach. Bompastor won three consecutive Division 1 titles in the 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons respectively. In the 2022–23 UWCL, Bompastor's Lyon team reached the quarter-final, where they fell 3-2 on aggregate to Chelsea. The following year, in the 2023–24 UWCL, she led them to the final of the competition for a second time, but they ultimately lost 2–0 to the quadruple-winning Barcelona. In total, she lifted seven trophies overall during her managerial spell at Lyon.

Chelsea

On 29 May 2024, Bompastor was appointed manager of Chelsea, on a four-year deal. She replaced Emma Hayes, who had been in charge for 12 years. She managed her first match with Chelsea on 20 September 2024 in a 1–0 win over Aston Villa. On 12 October 2024, she led Chelsea to the club's first ever win at the Emirates Stadium and the club's first away win to Arsenal…

In February 2025, Bompastor and her former teammate Camille Abily announced that they have been in a relationship for 13 years and that they have four children together. Abily was Lyon's assistant coach before Bompastor took over at the club, and she has been Bompastor's assistant both at Lyon and Chelsea.