Chelsea Women: The Majestic Queens of the WSL

There aren’t many teams in this world who have the grit and courage to rise back up from continuous setbacks. The innate willpower of these teams is unparalleled and the strength they possess, unmatched.  When Emma Hayes took over the Chelsea women’s team in 2012, she inherited a side that seemed to be massively disjointed – both on and off the pitch.

The club rules strictly prevented them from interacting with the men’s team, unless the men initiated a conversation. The financial backing from the board was next to none and the overall atmosphere around the club was rather negative. But Hayes wasn’t one to give up. Patiently, piece by piece, she started building the Chelsea puzzle.

The team came agonizingly close to winning in the WSL in 2014, only to lose out on the title on the final day. They also reached the semi-final stage of both the FA and Continental Cups, falling short on both occasions to the eventual winners. However, there were tons of positives to take from that season, especially their first-ever qualification to the UEFA Women’s Champions League. It was during this time that things started to take a turn for the better.

In 2015, a lot of the Chelsea players announced that they were turning into full professionals. This was paramount as it boosted the already restored confidence surrounding the club. And the impact was instant. Chelsea lifted the FA Cup in August that year, beating Notts County Ladies in the final, courtesy of a single goal scored by Ji So-Yeon. In October, they secured the WSL title – thus completing the celebrated “double.” They repeated this same feat two seasons later. All this hard work and effort put in by Hayes and her team was deservedly recognized and the club was rebranded as Chelsea Women FC in 2018.