Lucy Bronze reveals career ambitions after joining Chelsea

Lucy Bronze’s move from Barcelona to Chelsea this summer is a return to familiar territory - but provides a new and exciting challenge.

The 32-year-old defender has won it all in club football. In England, she has won every domestic title there is to win, and abroad with Lyon and Barcelona she has won league titles, cups and even the coveted UEFA Women’s Champions League five times.

But for Bronze, there is unfinished business in her home country and there is something unique about the prospect of being crowned Champions of Europe with an English club. “I was ready to do something else,” she said, speaking at the Barclays WSL’s 2024/25 season launch Media Day.

“I had in my mind that I needed to come back to England one more time. I think winning the Champions League with an English team has always been my dream. 

“I won the Champions League for the first time at Lyon, but nothing would ever be as good as doing it with an English team. That’s something that I felt playing for England as well, winning a tournament with England means more to me than anything else.

“I’m not at the start of my career so I had to make smart moves to try to accomplish these dreams that I have. So coming to Chelsea, I want to win the Champions League with an English team and Chelsea are the best team to do that with.”

For the Blues, this summer marked an exciting new chapter for the club. After more than a decade at Chelsea, long-serving manager Emma Hayes bid an emotional farewell in order to pursue a new opportunity as head coach of the United States Women’s National Team.

Her exit paved the way for former Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor to take the reigns in the dugout. The 44-year-old has won the Champions League and domestic titles for Lyon as both a player and a manager, and she is also no stranger to Bronze.

“Getting Sonia [Bompastor] and Camille [Abily] in as the coaches – I spoke to them for 30 seconds and I was a Chelsea player,” the England international continued. “Part of [deciding to] come to Chelsea was working with those two again, knowing that they are so demanding and have really high standards. 

“They did it both as players and then as coaches, so I know what they can bring to a team. That could be the thing that takes Chelsea to another level. If we can get the best out of all these things that we’ve got and the talent that we’ve got, then I think we would be unstoppable against most teams.”

Chelsea have been one of the most dominant forces in English football for several years, yet success on the European stage has remained frustratingly out of reach. The closest they came to breaking their Champions League hoodoo was in 2021, when they reached the final in Gothenburg, only to suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat against Barcelona.

In the last two seasons, Chelsea’s European ambitions have been cut short at the semi-final stage – both times at the hands of Barcelona. For Bronze, who played a key role in Barcelona's recent triumphs, those near misses only add to Chelsea's potential.

“Chelsea have got that winning mentality,” she added. “They’ve got that experience of beating Barcelona and Lyon, and being in a Champions League final. But sometimes it’s not just talent that you need. 

“Those last bits: the knowhow of winning the final, being ready and focused, having clear minds going into that final – Sonia, myself and Camille can add that to Chelsea and push this team over the line because the talent’s there.

“You definitely saw it last year, and even that was with a few injuries at Chelsea. This year could be even better and the Champions League is the main one that we’re missing.”

As the women’s game continues to go from strength to strength, it also presents new challenges for clubs and players to deal with. The WSL has long been known for players mixing freely with supporters after games, but growing crowds make it difficult to satisfy the demands of fans hoping for an autograph and a selfie.

Ahead of the new season, Chelsea made the difficult decision to limit fan interaction pre and post match at Kingsmeadow, citing the safety concerns outside the ground, as well as fans gathering at the front of stands inside the stadium and blocking exits. While it’s a significant step to take, Bronze believes the decision is a necessary one. 

"It's about safety not just for the players, but also for the fans," she explained. “The fans are used to having that reaction with players, which we love as well, but at the end of the day you can’t speak to every fan.

“We still have those interactions with fans. Although I might not be signing [autographs] I still get to see them and that’s still what I enjoy, hearing them chant on the pitch, we feel and hear that from the fans.”

As well as managing fan engagement, there are plenty of other hurdles the women’s game must overcome. This summer, the WSL and Championship were transferred from the ownership of the Football Association to a new and independent company temporarily named Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), and spearheaded by CEO Nikki Doucet. It’s a significant shift, and one that Bronze sees as a crucial step forward.

“I’ve spoken to Nikki [Doucet] a little bit, and I’ve met a lot of the people from WPLL” she concluded. “I think it’s exciting that they’re taking over, that there’s a business model, and that someone sees the league as something that can grow. The FA did a fantastic job getting us to where we are, but it’s definitely time to flourish on its own.

“We can’t expect things to change overnight. That’s not what this game is about. It’s about longevity, making sure we take the right steps. We’re going to make our own path. We don’t follow what the men do or what other sports do - we take the best things, but we want to make it our own.”

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