The Blues begin their defence of the Women’s Super League title on Friday evening, hosting Aston Villa at Kingsmeadow.

From Cobham to Kingston, with a productive trip to the USA in between… This is where our new era will begin.

We sat down to chat with Bompastor at our training ground in the days leading up to her introduction to the WSL.

Our head coach has already made clear she has ambitions of silverware this season. A winner of all there is to win during her own illustrious playing career and during her time as Lyon head coach, she now wants to experience the same in England with Chelsea.

But when she talks to us from the comfort of Cobham, the person behind all of those triumphs shines through.

Bompastor is humble. Bompastor does not take for granted the position she is in. Bompastor prioritises the people around her.

‘The team is not just about me,’ she says. ‘It’s about the players and all of the staff who are involved in our performance. We are all united to make sure we achieve our goals this season.

‘This is a team filled with different personalities, with different talents and with different histories. I have got to know all of that over the last six or seven weeks – and this is what I want to show people when they watch us at home, away or on the TV.

‘We are all lucky enough to have our passion be our jobs. I am someone who is really passionate and I think all the players in our squad are the exact same.

‘We want to bring that passion on the pitch and enjoy our time out there together. It’s about getting a good result, of course, and showing our good values on the pitch.

‘Something really important to me is not only our results, but our behaviours. I want the players to be proud of the result, while displaying our values and enjoying all of these moments with the fans.’

Those words might read familiar to those who remember Bompastor's first interview with us upon arriving at the club. But, it again just shows what kind of person she is. She has her beliefs and they don't waver.

As well as those values, the solid foundations for the imminent campaign have also been laid in the hard work put in during pre-season. The Blues are ready for the competitive action to kick-off when the Villans come to town.

‘We’ve been working really hard,’ Bompastor said. ‘When you are a coach, it is seven days a week, 24 hours a day – but it doesn’t feel that way to me because, like I said, this is my passion.

‘I could work 14 days a week and 48 hours in a day and I would still love it! I really enjoy what I am doing and I could do it forever.

‘We are in a very good environment here. We have a lot of what we need to succeed. We feel like we are in the right place to have good results.

‘I feel like I have spoken a lot before now, but now it’s time to show all of what I have talked about and go out and perform on the pitch.

‘It’s a new era, but the players have responded to everything so well.

‘What has impressed me the most is the good communication we all have every day. We are able to give feedback from training sessions, games and the squad tell us how they are feeling as people and players – that’s the most important thing.

‘My vision is that we are a family. This journey is about being able to share how we are feeling in ourselves and to be in a space where we can express ourselves individually and collectively.’

Another integral component for success, according to Bompastor, is our fans. They are our 12th player, our game-changers, our reason for it all. She can’t wait to lead her team in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd come Friday.

‘They are really important,’ Bompastor said. ‘Your motivation when the fans are in the stadium just grows a lot.

‘You want to be able to perform for them because you can feel their support behind you.

‘They can help carry you as a team. You listen to them and feel that they are with you. This will be the case especially at Kingsmeadow because the fans are so close and that makes it really special.

‘Even when the result isn’t going your way, you can feel their support and that can change the game. That can motivate you and you end up getting the win.

‘There is nothing better when you score a goal or get that win and you watch the fans celebrate. We want to share those moments with them. That is why we do what we do every day.’