The big London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal in the Women’s Super League takes place at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
And Blues head coach Sonia Bompastor and her Gunners counterpart Renee Slegers do not want it to be a bad-tempered affair – but one that is respectful and competitive.
The Frenchwoman was in relaxed mood as she spoke to the media on Friday – and downplayed the previous heated derbies between the two sides.
“It’s nice to have competition between both clubs,” Bompastor said of the rivalry. “It brings something special into the women’s game. I think as much as it’s a battle on the pitch I think you also need to show respect.”
Sonia Bompastor on Arsenal: “A top team”
And she proceeded to do just that, saying: “I think Arsenal is a top team. The club is doing great for the women’s game and I think you need to respect that, so as a manager I will always be respectful. For sure coming into the game tomorrow I want to give them a hard time on the pitch. Sometimes as a manager when you are in the game, you can be a little bit emotional, but never missing respect to the opponent. That’s my philosophy.
“Renee is a nice coach. We never fight together. There is no reason for us to fight.”
Then she added with a laugh: “I can talk to her tomorrow and make sure something happens!”
Renee Slegers: Arsenal want to win this game
Under the two sides’ former coaches, Emma Hayes at Chelsea and Jonas Eidevall at Arsenal, there had been several matches with additional needle – notably an unpleasant clash in April 2024 after the Gunners won the League Cup final 1-0.
But Slegers too played down the prospect of any bad feeling between the two set-ups.
“It’s not within my personality to go and fight down the sideline,” she said in her own press conference.
“I don’t think that’s going to help the game, but of course, we are winners and we want to win this game and there’s a rivalry between the two teams and that’s always going to be there, but no, in my opinion, it’s not going to help the players on the pitch, where it needs to happen.”
