The summer provided Bompastor with an opportunity to reflect and recharge. Her first campaign at the helm, after replacing the iconic Emma Hayes, was an undoubted success. Yet foundations were being laid throughout the campaign by Bompastor and her staff – and now they can be built upon further

‘I had enough time after the season to settle down and reflect on what happened individually, as well as with the staff and the club,’ the Blues head coach explains. 'I went back to France for a few weeks and saw my friends and family. But it's always busy because even if you are not playing games, you are planning for the new season.

‘Pre-season was a lot different last year because I was new to the club. I was in another country with a new language, so I didn't have time to prepare in the best way possible. I had to observe everything to make sure I was learning about the environment here.

• Secure your place at our WSL opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on 5 September now!

‘Coming into this season, I feel we are ready. The preparations have been going well; I’ve had time to prepare with the staff exactly what we wanted to achieve during pre-season.

‘I feel I'm in a better place and know more about the club, the DNA, the history, and also bringing in who I am as a manager. This season, I feel more confident than I was in implementing things and innovating, because I know my staff and players better.

'Last season was about getting to know each other on the pitch. Now, we are in a better position to go into the details of how we want to work together, what we want to achieve as a team, and get to know each other better off the pitch.

'The small details are so important at this level. We are closer to that this season than we were last season.’

Our pre-season training camp in the Netherlands was an ideal opportunity to work on those finer details, with all but our six European Championship-winning Lionesses and Colombia’s Mayra Ramirez making the trip.

Bompastor also saw great value in observing the Blues on international duty this summer, and explained how England’s win can help her side during the forthcoming campaign.

‘I watched the Euros,’ Bompastor says. ‘It’s always good when you have an international competition to observe your players in a different environment with their national team.

‘I was happy to see England win because I think it will give the country a big boost coming into this Women’s Super League season. I think it was the best thing that could’ve happened for the league.

'When the team returned to England, the celebrations were great, there were lots of people, and I think the players are becoming increasingly well-known by the fans.

‘I was proud, especially because we were the most represented club in the England squad with six players. All of them made an impact in the tournament in different ways, affecting the performances and results. I think for them individually, but it's also really positive for us at Chelsea.

'I'm sure they’ve now had a good break, both mentally and physically, and I think they will come back to our environment with a lot of confidence.’

It was only a handful of days after England had been crowned European champions that the first Chelsea players reported back to Cobham for pre-season training. And for Bompastor, being settled at the club, coupled with a long runway to the new season, has enabled her to work on the details of her game model.

Blues supporters shouldn’t expect to see wholesale changes in our approach, though, as Bompastor is more focused on making the exact right tweaks to improve on last year’s performances.

Those who work for Bompastor speak about her demands for excellence, but behind the desire for elite performances lies a high level of support and understanding for individuals.

‘I really care about my players and my staff, and the people I'm working with,’ continues Bompastor. ‘It’s important for me to create the right environment for everyone to feel valued, for them to feel considered, and give the best of themselves.

‘I wouldn't say there will be a big difference from last season. People could maybe see the broader parts of our game model and our philosophy, what we were trying to achieve both in and out of possession. This season, we will go further and in more detail on what we were trying to achieve last season.

‘We did well in terms of trophies and results last season, but we were not always happy with the performances, and didn’t show as much consistency as I would like. We’re working on giving even more clarity to the players for them to execute what we want them to achieve on the pitch.'

Bompastor takes the time to carefully explain the pillars that make up her identity as a coach. Dominance, confidence, bravery, and an elite mentality all link into the game model that she is now refining with her players, and it provides Blues supporters with a hint of what to expect this season.

'We want to be dominant when on the pitch, meaning we want to have control of the game,' she explains. 'We want to have the ball more than the opposition. I want to have a team who are really confident when they are stepping out onto the pitch, and when I say confident, I want my players to try things.

'I always tell them that's okay for you to try and not to succeed the first time. It’s fine for them to feel like, ‘Okay, I didn't succeed, but I want to try again.’ That's the right mentality.

'Being brave on the pitch is something I really care about, and we want to be a team who are good when we lose the ball, we want to recover the ball as quickly as we can, and we like to put a lot of pressure on the opposition when we don't have the ball.

'These are not only the main principles linked to our game model, but also we need to apply them every day in training to make sure the players are all on the same page and they understand what to do during matches.'

See Sonia Bompastor and her side in action at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City in the first Women's Super League game of the season on 5 September at 7.30pm! Secure your tickets for that fixture here.