Chelsea manager Sonia Bombastor has expressed her thoughts on the possibility of the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) expanding to include Scottish clubs Celtic and Rangers.
According to the resulting reports from The Timesthe Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) are looking for ways to expand the women’s game and have explored the prospect of welcoming two Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) teams to their ranks.
All talks are understood to be at an early stage and no official moves have yet been made by either party. According to league regulations, the notice period for leaving the SWPL is two seasons, meaning that the restructuring will not happen in the near future.
ChelseaBompastor was asked to share his thoughts on the matter as the team prepare to face West Ham United on his return WSL this weekend.
“These two teams joining the WSL, they’re two big brands and it would be good,” he said.
Many concerns have been raised about the negative impact such a move could have on the Scottish league. Skipping the two giants would do nothing to support the growth of the domestic game, a statement echoed by Bompastor when asked.
“On the other hand, it wouldn’t be good for their country,” the coach said. “They are big brands and it would be good for their country to keep them.”
WPLL is also exploring the idea of ​​a closed league, reports say. This will mean that the promotion and relegation system will be abolished, leading to the dismantling of the traditional English tier system.
Despite remaining level-headed when asked about the Celtic-Rangers talk, Bobastore was sure to make her disapproval of the closed league proposal known.
“Competitionally, it’s always good when you get relegated,” he added. “When you’re a team, you’re always competing for something. Sometimes you’re competing for titles and sometimes you’re competing not to be relegated, that’s part of the competition.”
Good news for Blues fans as Bompastor provides a fitness update for his side who take on West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Stadium this Sunday. The head coach has confirmed that star forward Johanna Rytting Kaneryd will be able to return to the Irons.
Wieke Kaptein was carried off the pitch in the dying moments of Chelsea’s Adobe Women’s FA Cup win over Charlton Athletic last weekend after picking up a nasty knock. Bompastor confirmed that Kaptein is “fine” but was unable to train with the team this week.
However, the head coach confirms the 19-year-old is “back to a position where she will be ready to train on Saturday” and is likely to be part of the matchday squad to face Durham in the Subway Women’s League Cup.
