“It’s been an emotional week, probably a rollercoaster seven months,” Hayes told the BBC afterwards. “Staying on top of your own emotion is really tricky. I’m just relieved it’s over.”
At times, many questioned whether the team had lost faith in the manager; some even wondered if this would be the end of the domination she had unleashed over the past five seasons. But she has taught this Chelsea team well and they knew how to win when it mattered most. Once the final whistle blew at Old Trafford, the ground was filled with chants of “We love you, Emma” — a testament to the impact and legacy of the beloved manager.
“I picked a team of leaders from the beginning,” she told Sky Sports. “It was essential we had the emotional maturity for a stadium as fitting as this. I can’t say it is my most enjoyable, but it has been the toughest, for that reason probably the sweetest. I am so relieved it is over.
“I have great memories, listening to the fans, the connection with the players. I haven’t got any more to give, I know that much. The hardest thing to do is five in a row as people take their eye off the ball. My legacy is winning while building a team for the future.” Hayes leaves Chelsea as one of the best managers in the world. She has shaped women’s football in England, has spoken up when others did not, and has taken the club to new heights, forcing her rivals to evolve to keep pace.
It was not the fairytale season she would have imagined when fighting for four trophies, but a ruthless 6-0 win to seal yet another WSL title was the perfect way to sum up her tenure. She will be missed.
