- Hayes will finish the WSL season at Chelsea and move to the USA in the summer
- She said she had “dreamed of coaching the U.S. for a long time.”
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Emma Hayes has been confirmed as the next coach of the United States Women’s National Team, becoming the highest-paid coach in the world.
Hayes will leave Chelsea at the end of the season after spending 11 years with the Women’s Super League club.
The 47-year-old will officially join the United States in June and play four games in preparation for next year’s Olympics in Paris.
“It is a great honor to coach the most incredible team in the history of world football,” said Hayes.
“The feelings and connection I have for this team and this country are deep. I have dreamed of coaching the USA for a long time and getting this opportunity is a dream come true.
Chelsea’s Emma Hayes has been officially announced as the next manager of the USWNT
Hayes will take over the US Women’s position at the end of the current WSL season
“I know there is still much work to be done to achieve our goal of consistently winning at the highest level.” Getting there will require dedication, commitment and collaboration from the players, staff and everyone at the U.S. Football Association.”
US Soccer confirmed in its press release that Hayes will become the highest-paid female manager in soccer, with her annual salary of $1.3 million matching that of men’s team head coach Gregg Berhalter.
“Emma is a fantastic leader and world-class coach who sets high standards for herself and everyone around her,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone.
“She has tremendous energy and an insatiable desire to win.” “Her experience in the United States, her understanding of our soccer landscape and her understanding of what it means to coach this team make her the perfect fit for this role and we couldn’t be happier that she leads our women’s national team forward.”
Hayes replaces Vlatko Andonovski, who was sacked after a disappointing performance at the World Cup in Australia earlier this year.
Twila Kilgore served as interim manager and will continue to do so until Hayes takes over next year. Kilgore will then resume her role as assistant manager.
Hayes won 15 trophies in her 11 years at Chelsea. The only prize she hasn’t won with the WSL club is the Champions League – but she will be looking to change that this season. The Blues face Real Madrid in their first group game on Wednesday.
“It would obviously be a fairytale to win it,” Hayes said before the game. “But I didn’t grow up with a love of fairy tales – my sister did.
Hayes has won six league titles and five Women’s FA Cup trophies with the Blues
“I would love nothing more than to be in a winning position with this team.”
Hayes is one of the most successful managers in women’s football today – she has led the Blues to win the last four WSL titles in a row and six overall.
Chelsea are the current winners of both the WSL and Women’s FA Cup – a trophy they have won five times.
She has extensive coaching experience in the United States – coaching the Long Island Lady Riders and the Chicago Red Stars at the professional level, as well as the Iona University women’s soccer team in New York.
Hayes is the tenth full-time manager in USWNT history and the second to hail from England. The other was Jill Ellis, who won back-to-back world championships in 2015 and 2019.