Emma Hayes has signed a new deal to stay on as manager of Chelsea Women, the WSL club announced on Friday.
The 44-year-old has been with the club since 2012 and has guided them to four WSL titles, two FA Cups and two League Cups.
They won the Super League title last season after a thrilling battle with Manchester City and reached a first-ever Champions League final, where they were beaten by Barcelona.
Hayes said: “Everyone knows what this club means to me.
“The work we’ve done together over the last nine years has been hugely rewarding, full of growth of the women’s game, accompanied with winning, which is one of the club’s key values.
Chelsea players celebrate with the FA Women’s Super League trophy
“I really look forward to keep building on the successes we’ve already achieved and I’m delighted to have extended further.
“It’s been a year and a half without fans, so I can’t wait to welcome them back to our home and share with them the wonderful team we’ve built together.”
Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in an epic Champions League semi final last season
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: ‘We are delighted Emma has committed to stay at Chelsea. History speaks for itself, and we are really proud of what she has achieved in the past nine years, not just at the club, but also for the growth of the women’s game.
“It is phenomenal and a real credit to Emma for her continued passion, hard work and dedication to the sport.
‘We have no doubt there’s more exciting times to come and look forward to watching her take Chelsea Women to even greater heights in the years to come.”
Having retained the WSL trophy and the League Cup in 2020-21, Chelsea fell short of adding the Champions League, as they were beaten 4-0 by Barcelona in the final in Gothenburg.
That was a first appearance in the showpiece fixture for the Blues – who reached the semi-finals in 2018 and 2019 – and the first by an English club since Arsenal, who had Hayes as assistant manager at the time, won the competition in 2007.
Chelsea will look to complete a domestic treble in the remainder of the 2020-21 FA Cup, the quarter-finals of which are scheduled for September, with Hayes’ team facing Birmingham away.
