Emma Hayes opens up on the toll 12 years has taken in final press conference
Any Emma Hayes press conference is usually a block buster, and her farewell after a seventh WSL title was no different, but showed the most vulnerable side to the person behind the coach to date...
“It’s Never Over” read the t-shirt Emma Hayes adorned into the media room at Old Trafford for her final press conference in English football.
Beer in hand, hair down and ‘Champions’ cap over her head, it was a sight we’ve seen many times before - seven now, in fact - yet this time it was different.
There was a different sort of tears in the eyes, a woman admitting as she ended one final 20-minute question and answer session she was “beaten”, but only mentally, because she had once again beaten the opposition to seal a fifth successive Women’s Super League title.
It was not meant to be this easy. This was the one that would go to the wire, not like the comfortable wins against Reading or Sunderland. The one where an FA Cup-winning Manchester United side made life uncomfortable, where rivals Manchester City racked up the goals, the one where Hayes was left pacing up and down the touchline waiting for her fate to be sealed.
It wasn’t meant to be Chelsea’s away following chanting “we want six” after 47 minutes, or cheerfully asking their departing head coach “what’s the score?” and for her to respond in jest with five fingers and a thumb.
Yet maybe it was. Because this is Emma Hayes, and was it really ever going to end any other way?
This was so comfortable Hayes and captain Millie Bright had time for an emotional embrace during a break in play as Jayde Riviere received treatment.
Match in Focus: Chelsea dominate to hit Manchester United for six
“Forgive me for thinking City would have won the title,” Hayes said, speaking of her speech after a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool a mere 17 days ago where she all but conceded the chance of a seventh title.
“I’ve been in City’s position. But if we’d have been in that position, had they lost to Liverpool, we’d have definitely won that next game. I do think the loss of Bunny Shaw was significant and I think City have had a tremendous season, they really have, they’ve pushed us all the way, but if you leave a door open for Chelsea…the minute that door was opened, everyone knew it the minute it opened we’d walk through it.”
While rivals may snarl at her soundbites, it’s no coincidence Hayes gets to come out with them so often.
She spoke of how people don’t understand how hard it is to win, let alone do it five times in a row, and she opened up on how this season in particular has taken its toll, and offered a more human glimpse into exactly why this is the end.
“I’m so tired. I am, I mean it. I’m exhausted from 12 years, not 90 minutes. I don’t know how anyone does it, I don’t know how I’ve done it for 12 years. I’m always so grateful for the players, what they’ve done for me and the club. I’m so relieved it’s over.”
She continued, emphasising the strains “I had to leave three players out of the squad today. Imagine how hard that was this morning, tell three players they weren’t in the squad, let alone the team. I won’t miss that every three days.
“That’s probably the toughest part of the job, in fact it is the toughest part of the job, because people automatically associate value with playing and if they’re not playing, they don’t think they’re contributing and that’s really tough on players.”
For the first time, Hayes allowed a glimpse of who she really is, the introvert who has been swallowed up by the very game she fought to have.
She spoke about how she still sticks the stickers in the Panini albums, about wanting to “create the role models I never had”, but it has grown to such an extent that is has taken its toll on her, hence leaving behind club football for a national team job.
“Queen G,” Hayes laughed, when asked how she felt when Catarina Macario pushed her forward to take the acclaim of Chelsea’s away following. “You can tell Cat’s the American of the group, she’s all about that. I’m British. If I wasn’t a football manager, I’m that person in the social group sat in the corner.
“I don’t like to be front and centre in my life, I don’t live like that, so I find some of this job really, really hard, because I just want a quiet life. That’s what I’m most looking forward to. Having a different life, a situation where I only have to do this and games every six to eight weeks.
“I’d say it’s taken its toll on me rather than changed me. I categorically cannot carry on, so I am absolutely leaving at the right time. I don’t have another drop to give it. It’s so much of the job, not just this, but dealing with people. I have such high standards for myself that maintaining that has become impossible. I can’t keep up with the demands from players on a daily basis in terms of their emotional needs, everything. I’ve found that to be gruelling this year, to be honest with you.
“I hope the club support the new manager for more player care, more performance psychology, I really feel strongly about that. I’ve made my suggestions to the sporting director and I know they’ll take it on.”
On changing the game, she added “I don’t really know. I’m really genuine, even in these places, I don’t work to do something for anything other than the right reasons. I just wanted to create role models that I never had. I wanted to create a profession that wasn’t possible. I get asked that question all the time, how could I have dreamt of that at 10 years old. There was no visibility, maybe Marieanne Spacey on Channel 4.
“Whether it’s my niece Isabella or the kids outside screaming for an autograph, I just want them to have what I never had. This really important, I thought about how I sign off today, there’s only one thing from me…we’ve all been told no. We’ve all been told it can’t be done, the boys come first, it’s a men’s game, the crap we have to put up with.
The Big Interview with Emma Hayes, her final exclusive interview in English football
“Year after year, it’s definitely taken its toll this year, I’ve been fed up with most of it to be honest with you. But England have won the Euros, we’re selling out Wembley, Arsenal selling out stadium after stadium game after game. I think women’s football will explode, it already is, but really will in the next few years, and that is all that I wanted.”
There was no time among the weary-eyed exhausted Hayes for one more moment of textbook Hayes though, the defiance which still shines even in her most vulnerable of moments.
“We’ve been without Sam, Mayra, Mia, and Lauren the back end of the season,” she stated. “We have had some big injuries…our captain, Millie Bright. Losing the volume of leadership we have at the back and up top did take its toll.
“The diminishing roles of some of the senior players, that’s why for me this was the best title. We’re not stupid, we know we’ve not been at our best, so for us to win the title? Wow. I’m sorry, I don’t think you guys know how hard it is to win and win and win and win. Some teams don’t change their teams and play a game a week. We’ve played significantly more games if you look over the last five years, and I think plus Euros, World Cup and Olympics, it took its toll. I almost can’t believe we won the title, I can’t believe it.
“Two games to go in a title race and it’s a 19-year-old in Maika and 20-year-old in Aggie up front. I fully respect Man City lost Bunny, but look what we lost. Watch Millie’s performance today, she’s had to play the three games knowing she’s not 100%, but what a leader. We’ve missed her for large chunks.
“I picked a team who could handle it with the emotional maturity. It’s why I played Zecira Musovic today. 27 years old, sometimes third choice, sometimes second choice, rarely been the first choice. She’s one of the most amazing humans I’ve ever coached because she’s been someone sat in the background and to come in the last three games and keep three cleans sheets, that’s what epitomises Chelsea.”
Now, she heads off to the USA, and despite her obvious exhaustion, there was light shining through the tears when she asked about her next adventure, and she stated she’d absolutely be ready for the challenge after a night of celebrating and a further day celebrating son Harry’s birthday on Sunday.
“That’s all I need,” she smiled.
It’s no surprise it’s the USA which has finally prized her away from Chelsea. Hayes spent the best part of a decade there coaching before coming home, and told the story of her dad who was living stateside in the nineties saying to her “you have to come here”, and she did.
“He showed me role models, it just happened to be the US women’s national team,” Hayes said.
On Tuesday, she will have a leadership call with US Soccer before flying to New York on Wednesday for a press conference on Thursday, before flying onto Denver to meet her staff before camp for back-to-back games against Korea Republic begins the week after.
Exhausted? Maybe. But there’s a definite feel that exhaustion will fade when she finally breaks free from what she’s escaping come the middle of next week.
“They [USA players] deserve my full attention and they will get that from me. Those preparations have been put in place in the background. I’m having one night tonight and Harry’s birthday tomorrow. I’ll be ready to go on Monday morning.”
Her parting words hinted we won’t see Hayes coach in the club game again, which would be a huge shame, but with her final words, she suggested the story with Chelsea might not be over.
“When my tenure is done with the USA, if Chelsea ever need me, they know what my phone number is…”
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