‘Nothing is too big for Sonia Bompastor’, says Aston Villa’s Kenza Dali of her former Lyon academy coach
KENZA DALI is relishing seeing Sonia Bompastor step “out of the comfort zone” with the Lyon chief expected to become Chelsea boss.
And the Aston Villa ace, 32, expects Lyon will overcome Barcelona when they battle for the Women’s Champions League crown today.
The duel between the nine-time champs of Spain’s top-flight and Dali’s old club is the third decider in six years to be fought between the rivals.
The 5:00pm fixture, at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, will be Jonatan Giraldez’s last game as Barcelona boss before he takes over as head coach of US women’s club Washington Spirit.
It will also be Bompastor’s final match at the helm of Lyon who hold the record for the most Women’s Champions League trophy wins with eight in their cabinet.
The France-born head coach, 43, was reportedly identified as a top target to succeed Emma Hayes as manager of Chelsea.
This week the ex-Blues chief began her new role as USA Women’s head coach after guiding her old side to a seventh Women’s Super League title.
And her old club are expected to announce Bompastor as the new gaffer of their WSL team in the near future following today’s Champions League final.
Nothing is too big for her. If she comes to England to coach one of the best teams in a completely different environment, then she’s really being out of her comfort zone
Kenza Dali on Sonia Bompastor
Dali, whose senior club career includes Lyon stints from 2009-2010 and 2016 to 2018, said: “Sonia needs to be challenged and she loves new challenges. Nothing is too big for her.
“If she comes to England to coach one of the best teams in a completely different environment, then she’s really being out of her comfort zone.
“The French (style of football) management is completely different from the English management.
“I know both sides, and I’m always surprised how different it is for a French coach to manage an English team.
“But I think she will able to do it and if she’s going there (Chelsea) it’s going to be very interesting to see her out of the comfort zone.”
Dali, born in the town of Sainte-Colombe, in eastern France, began her playing career in Lyon’s academy in 2005 before joining the club’s senior section in 2009.
The midfielder, who has started in 37 top-flight games for Villa, had Bompastor as her academy coach at the age of 16.
She describes the former left-back, who captained Lyon to Champions League titles in 2011 and 2012, as having the club’s will to win in her DNA.
In two spells as Lyon’s head coach Bompastor has guided the team to seven major trophy wins.
These include three top-flight crowns and a Champions League triumph.
Dali, who played for West Ham and Everton from 2019 before her 2022 Villa move added: “Sonia was an unbelievable player and left-back, so competitive.
“She was the academy coach and was one of my coaches when I was there when I was 16.
“When I was training with her when I was still young, I remember how competitive she was. She’s a coach who has the DNA of Lyon
“You can see that if you watch Lyon’s (Champions League semi-final) win against Paris Saint-Germain.
“On the bench, she was crazy because as a player, she was like that.
“She just brings this competitiveness to the team and has a lot of big players to manage and not a lot of managers can do that.
“Everything and every decision in Lyon is on purpose.
“Having a coach that knows exactly what it takes to win, the politics at Lyon and how things are done is a strategy as well from the club.”
Today’s clash will see Barcelona battle for Europe’s elite club football prize for the fourth time since 2019.
While previous triumphs saw them thrash Chelsea 4-0 and beat Wolfsburg 3-2, the nine-time La Liga Women’s champs are yet to beat Lyon in a final.
The French side have been a nemesis for their opponents with star striker Ada Hegerberg punishing their defence.
The Norway star has scored four goals in two finals against Barca with Lyon clinching 4-1 and 3-1 victories in 2019 and 2022.
Victory tomorrow would see them become Champions League top dogs for the ninth time.
Dali, who today attended a WePlayStrong event in Bilbao as part of a Uefa campaign celebrating women’s football, added: “Everyone is talking a lot about Barcelona.
“They are an unbelievable team, but Lyon have beaten them in a final recently and will want to make a point again.
“In my head the only team that can beat Lyon today is maybe Barcelona.
“But Lyon have a lot of quality and can really hurt Barcelona in the way they play.
“Sometimes Barcelona over possesses the ball, but Lyon can also be a team in possession.
“They can really hurt them with forwards like Melchie Dumornay and Delphine Cascarino.
“They also have some unbelievable players like Selma Bacha and Amel Majri.
“It’s going to be a really interesting game.”
Barcelona vs Lyon in the Women’s Champions League final can be watched live from 5:00pm today on DAZN’s YouTube channel.