Bompastor represented Lyon as a player before spending eight years in charge of their women's academy side after hanging up her boots. She was then promoted to head coach in 2021, and spent three further years in charge before moving to Chelsea in summer 2024.

This is the first time that our head coach has returned to face her former side since her move to England, and there were inevitably questions from the French media on how she is feeling ahead of Wednesday's match.

Bronze spent three years at the club between 2017 and 2020. She was asked about playing under legendary French defender Wendie Renard, who has represented Lyon since 2006.

On her return to Lyon...

Sonia Bompastor: 'It will be full of emotion; that’s obvious. I’m not the only one on the staff or in this group of players - there are quite a few people who have played or coached here, in this great stadium.

'But there is a match to be played, and that’s the most important thing. My task will be to focus on the preparations and to make sure that my team arrives ready for the match.'

On if she feels the pressure of facing her former side..

'No, not necessarily. I always want to do well. It doesn't matter what game it is. We've just come off another big game against Arsenal, and we want to shine, to win.

'Yes, this is a special moment, maybe a bit more charged with emotions, but we know how to detach ourselves from that; it’s part of our job. Emotionally and mentally, we know how to prepare so that the match remains the most important thing tomorrow.'

On why she left France for Chelsea...

'I have a blast every day being the head coach at Chelsea. Football in England is cultural. It's a culture that is very different from what we have here in France. The Women's Super League is very competitive.

'It was a personal choice to take on this role, because I wanted to challenge myself. I have that chance every weekend in the league, but also in the Champions League. I have the chance to work at a very high-level club at Chelsea. It's a big brand, a big club. I am very happy here, and I take a lot of pleasure from working with this group of players every day.'

On her ambitions to win the Champions League with Chelsea...

'Chelsea are a club with ambitions. So we always build a squad that can compete to win every trophy, especially the Champions League. It's the only one that's missing from the club.

'You have to find the right balance between experienced players and young talent. And then this competition is becoming more and more difficult. There are a lot of clubs now investing in women's football, and sometimes you need a bit of luck to help tip things in the right direction.

'We are not far away. I think we have a team full of quality, a team with a lot of talent, and so we have to approach matches one by one, and also have the mentality to be very competitive. We approach matches with this killer spirit against big opponents.'

On adopting Wendie Renard's standards at Chelsea...

Lucy Bronze: 'I spent three years at Lyon with Wendie as my captain, and I tell everyone she's the best captain I've ever played under. She's a great player and a great person. I learned so much from her in terms of how she defended her team, how she stood up for people, and the respect that she gained from everyone by doing the right things.

'There are so many words I could use to describe Wendie Renard. I took a lot of the experience that she brought to Lyon, and I try to bring that to Chelsea in terms of leading by example, bringing everyone along with me, and always having the highest standards.'