The decision to join Chelsea from Lyon was an easy one for the ambitious Bompastor, who won all there is to win in her native France, including the Champions League twice as a player and once as a coach.

But there was more for Bompastor to consider than just football. A mum of young children, she had to make sure moving away from all they had known was the right decision. The response from her kids already suggest it was.

‘Moving to London – it was a pretty big move for the family. So, with the relocation and everything it has been a busy summer, but I feel very excited about coming to London and joining the club,’ explains Bompastor.

‘Chelsea is a big club, so this part gets me most excited. I’m really excited about being here and I feel ready and have a lot of energy for this new journey.

‘The kids are really excited. Every day I keep asking them: ‘Give me a number from one to 10’ about being here and how they are enjoying it. It is something they are enjoying!

‘I will be very committed to my job and it will take up a lot of time in my day, but as a mum, it is really important the kids are adjusted in a good way, coming to a new country, a new culture and a new language. They are starting a new journey as well.

‘I can see that they are adjusting well and that is something good for me.’

Joining Chelsea aligns with Bompastor’s hopes as a coach and parent. At the Blues, she gets to lead a team she believes is one of the best, while her children get to experience something that she hopes stands them in good stead for the future.

‘It was a decision for us all,’ says Bompastor when asked about deciding to leave France to move to England.

‘From the performance side, Chelsea is one of the best clubs in Europe. We could see this year how close the team got to the Champions League final. When you come here, you can just feel the ambitions of the club.

‘You feel the club is supporting the women’s game and the squad. This is the place where most of the coaches want to be – and I was the one who had the chance!

‘From a family perspective, it’s always good to be in a place where you know your children will be learning a new culture, a new language and be in an environment where it will be very positive for them now, but also in the future.

‘I feel having this opportunity to come to England and living in London is something we are really excited about.’

Bompastor’s only venture outside of France as a player came when she played for Washington Freedom in the USA. It was something of a bucket list experience.

Fast forward almost 15 years and having left her homeland for the first time in her managerial career, our new head coach shares the same feelings as her younger self.

‘I felt like being the coach of Olympique Lyonnais was something really important, but when I was there I felt like at home and in my comfort zone,’ Bompastor says. ‘I knew the club by heart and everything was really familiar to me.

‘When I was a player and as a coach, I just feel sometimes in my life and in my professional life I need to have these new kind of challenges. Coming to Chelsea was one of them.

‘I’ve had the opportunity and the chance to win the Champions League as a coach and as a player, and I really want to make sure I give my best here to win the Champions League with another club in another country.

‘That’s what makes the difference for me and why I wanted to come here to Chelsea.’

Wanting to win the Champions League at Chelsea has not been made a secret since Bompastor’s arrival. In her first interview, our head coach spoke about her desire to compete on four fronts.

It is the only trophy Chelsea Women are yet to have in their cabinet, but Bompastor is not fazed by the challenge of a European triumph.

‘I like when I have high expectations’ she explains. ‘I know from my last experience being at such a great club as well, I know this kind of pressure on the result and winning the Champions League – it was something I was coming into the building every day for.

‘I like this pressure. Chelsea is a club who already won a lot of titles. They are the best club in England. When I decided to come to Chelsea, I knew that and it is something makes be happy.

‘I know a lot of the focus will be on the Champions League, but this is why I’m here. It matched from the club’s perspective and my view.

‘I will be happy if everyone is expecting Chelsea to win the Champions League because this is why we came. I know the players and all the staff are going to work to make sure we achieve this goal. We have the support, the infrastructure and are in the right environment to achieve it.’

Those high expectations also translate to the Women’s Super League, where the Blues will be aiming for a first title under Bompastor and a sixth consecutive league triumph.

‘The WSL puts me in a place where every week you have to compete,’ Bompastor adds. ‘It is the most competitive league in the world.

‘It’s the place where most coaches want to be and I have the privilege to be in this opportunity. I’m excited and I can’t wait to get started in the league.’

• Sonia Bompastor's first match at Kingsmeadow will see the Blues host Feyenoord Vrouwen in a friendly on Saturday 7 September. To see her side in action for the first time on home soil, buy your tickets here!