Sports
Emma Hayes on how she led Chelsea
In August 2012, Emma Hayes stepped off a train and arrived at a club who were about to finish third-bottom of the Women’s Super League.
Two of Chelsea’s three wins that season had come against the teams below them, Doncaster and Liverpool. Hayes’ initial challenges included finding offices to work from and footballs to work with.
“When there’s nothing there, you have to put everything there,” Hayes, 45, tells BBC Sport.
“Having nothing to start from made things really, really hard, because it meant very few people had to do a lot of jobs at the beginning. That was tough.”
Chelsea reached the FA Cup final the season before she joined – and were ahead in normal time, extra time and the penalty shootout before eventually losing to Birmingham.
But Hayes felt their place in the bottom two at the end of her first full season in charge, four points clear of relegation, reflected the talent within the part-time squad.
“We did really well, considering how behind we were,” she says.
“I don’t want to remember it. All my focus was off the pitch, getting the infrastructure in place. That was all I was interested in.”
Hayes also had a job in financial services at the time, building on the polymathy and breadth of vision she had developed during her first 11 years in the game.
She acted as assistant, first-team coach and academy director at Arsenal, forming part of the team who won the 2006-07 Women’s Champions League – known then as the Women’s Uefa Cup – under revered Gunners manager Vic Akers.
Prior to joining Chelsea, she had built a team for Western New York Flash, based in the US, in her capacity as technical director.
“I’d come from America, where I’d coached at a higher level, so it was a step backward for me,” she says. “I had to change my thinking to realise that there was just so much work to be done.
“It takes at least two seasons to get a team that represents anything like you want it to.”
Consistency – a word Hayes repeatedly returns to – as well as making Chelsea hard to score against and changing the team’s long-ball style, were among her priorities during the slow burn of her initial seasons.
In contrast to those clubs chasing instant success through heavy investment, Hayes targeted free agents and focused on a sustainable approach that would last.
Hayes describes then-Bundesliga top scorer Yuki Ogimi, signed in 2013, and legendary Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, as “pivotal” in helping to transform the professionalism of the club and its global image.
Only a final-day defeat denied Chelsea the title in 2014. They had the considerable consolation of reaching the Champions League for the first time, and Hayes’ shrewd signings inspired them to the league title and FA Cup glory the following year.
England internationals and serial WSL champions Katie Chapman and Gilly Flaherty, who Hayes knew from her Arsenal days, were also hugely important, paving the way for the likes of playmaker Ji So-yun and Fran Kirby, the club’s all-time top scorer and assist provider, to choose Chelsea.
“People don’t realise that when we won the double in 2015, I was part-time,” says Hayes. “Lots of the players were part-time, lots of the staff were part-time. We didn’t have much more resources than we did two or three years prior to that.”
Chelsea have repeated the league and FA Cup double three times since then, adding the League Cup for a memorable treble in 2021.
After watching the profiles of her star players bloom in tandem with the sport, Hayes is as interested in the business side of football as she is with her coaching sessions.
“I’m one of probably a handful of people who were doing it when no-one was there, so I have as much enjoyment in the growth of the game as I do in winning,” she says, pointing out that the costs of opening Stamford Bridge would necessitate near-full houses. Her team’s home is currently Kingsmeadow, which has a capacity of around 4,000.
“I’ve been in women’s football for a long time. I loved watching England winning the Euros, any sold-out stadium, turning on the telly and watching Manchester United versus Manchester City. It looks good when it’s at Old Trafford.”
But, 10 years on from being appointed as manager of Chelsea Ladies – as the team were known then – Hayes is in no mood to dwell on the past.
“It’s 10 years ago — what were you doing 10 years ago and can you remember that?” she asks.
“My preoccupation is how I get to a place, not what it feels like when I’m there, let alone when we’ve won.
“I’ll be honest with you — whenever we win, I just feel relief and I’m happy that it’s over. I love my job but it takes its toll.
“I always knew we were going to be successful. I know who I am and I’m confident about that.
“I always felt like I’m here for a reason. And that reason, beyond building a club, was to win trophies.”
Argentina beat Colombia to win a record 16th Copa America but the game was marred by the kick-off being delayed by 80 minutes because of trouble outside the ground in Miami.
Lautaro Martinez struck in the second half of extra time from Giovani lo Celso’s through ball to secure the win.
Captain Lionel Messi was left in tears when he had to be replaced midway through the second half after injuring himself while chasing for the ball – but was celebrating his country’s third successive major tournament at the final whistle.
Kick-off was delayed because of chaos outside the Hard Rock Stadium.
Organisers said ticketless fans tried to get into the ground, leaving some fans waiting for hours in the Miami heat for the gates to open.
Fans and police officers and security clashed with several arrests made. Several supporters needed treatment from paramedics.
On top of that the half-time break lasted for 25 minutes because of a concert by Colombian popstar Shakira on the pitch, a move that was criticised by Colombia boss Nestor Lorenzo beforehand.
It was a game of few clear chances in hot, humid conditions, with Colombia’s Jhon Cordoba hitting the woodwork in the first half.
Argentina thought they had taken the lead with 15 minutes to go but Nicolas Tagliafico’s effort was ruled out for offside.
Martinez would end up as the hero – and win the Golden Boot with five goals.
What now for Messi after Copa America glory?
Lionel Messi went off injured in the second half
Messi had never won a senior international tournament until the age of 34 and now he has won three in three years after the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup.
The final was played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami – which is just over 20 miles from the city of Fort Lauderdale, where Messi’s Inter Miami club play.
The 37-year-old said before this tournament he had yet to make a decision on whether he will play on for his country until the next World Cup, which is also in the US – as well as Canada and Mexico.
His powers seem to be waning and his only goal of the tournament came in the semi-final win over Canada. He missed a penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Ecuador.
In this game he was hurt by a tackle in the first half and hobbled off in the second period, holding an ice pack on his ankle on the bench.
Is this his final major tournament appearance of a legendary career?
It was certainly the final appearance of Angel di Maria’s international career. The 145-times capped player had already announced he would retire from the international stage after this.
Trouble before the game
There were problems getting fans into the ground for kick-off
The delays before the game were more bad news for organisers – with the Hard Rock Stadium due to host games at the 2026 World Cup.
In the semi-finals in Charlotte, Uruguay players clashed with Colombia fans after the final whistle – because they were worried about the safety of their families.
Players’ families were affected too in Miami.
Roberto Garnacho, brother of Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, wrote on social media: “What a shame CONMEBOL, the families not being able to enter the stadium, unbelievable.
“We were with [Argentina defender Marcos Acuna’s] family outside, getting away from the fights… Argentina’s security had to come get us, children of players crying, people entering without tickets.”
Colombia’s wait goes on
Colombia had been unbeaten in 28 games, a run stretching over two years going back to a World Cup qualifier against Argentina.
But their only Copa America triumph remains the 2001 success in their home country.
They had chances against the Argentines, most notably when Cordoba hit the post early on with a hooked volley.
Writtes /BBC/
Reports /Trainviral/
Ex-Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson has defected to Reform UK.
Mr Anderson was suspended as a Conservative MP after refusing to apologise for claims Islamists had “control” of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The defection ends weeks of speculation about the Ashfield MP and TV presenter’s future.
Mr Anderson said he had been given the chance to “speak out in Parliament on behalf of millions of people up and down the country” who support Reform.
He becomes Reform UK’s first ever MP, representing a party polling around 10% of national voting intention.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Anderson said he was “prepared to gamble on myself” because he said he knew “how many people support Reform and what they have to say”.
“All I want is my country back,” he added.
Reform UK founder and honorary president Nigel Farage said called the defection “huge”. He said: “I don’t think Westminster really understands this yet.”
Mr Anderson ruled out calling a by-election in his own seat, telling the BBC it “would be pretty reckless for me to suggest a by-election when we could have a general election in May”.
Two years ago, Mr Anderson backed a failed bid to let constituents trigger a by-election when their MP changes parties.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said Mr Anderson had “made a real mistake” in defecting from the Conservatives.
“Reform is not the answer,” he added.
Mr Cleverly said he agreed with Mr Anderson’s comments from January this year, when he said a “vote for Reform will only let the Labour party in”.
Red Wall ‘champion’
Mr Anderson was elected in 2019 to the Red Wall seat of Ashfield with a 5,700 vote majority – having previously served as a Labour councillor for his home town.
The son of a coal miner, Mr Anderson belonged to Arthur Scargill’s National Union of Mineworkers. His first job in politics was working in the office of local Labour MP Gloria De Piero, serving as district councillor at the same time.
After switching to the Conservative Party, the staunch Brexit supporter became an ally of former prime minister Boris Johnson.
He was made deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in February last year, but resigned in January to rebel against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill.
Announcing Mr Anderson’s defection, Reform UK Leader Richard Tice said his party had founds a “champion” for its plans to supplant the Conservatives in the Red Wall.
Mr Anderson was a “person of great integrity”, Mr Tice added.
The Reform leader said: “I think millions of British people endorsed the concerns and sentiments of what Lee was saying, which is that we are sick and tired of our streets being taken over by these pro-Hamas, extremist, antisemitic people and Islamist extremists.”
Reform UK has confirmed he will stand for Ashfield in the general election, superseding Henry Grisewood – who the party had initially chosen.
Pat McFadden, Labour’s National Campaign Coordinator, said Mr Anderson’s defection showed “the Conservatives are falling apart”.
“The truth is that the prime minister is too weak to lead a party too extreme to be led,” he said.
Some of Mr Anderson’s former colleagues criticised his defection – saying it made “a less conservative Britain more likely”.
The New Conservatives, made up mostly of 2019 Tory Red Wall MPs like Mr Anderson, said “the responsibility for Lee’s defection sits with the Conservative Party”.
In a statement, the group argued the Tory party’s failure to stick to the promises of the 2019 general election had led to split in the party.
Mr Anderson sparked a backlash after he claimed last month that the capital had been “taken over” amid the weekly pro-Palestinian protests over the war in Gaza.
In an interview with GB News, Mr Anderson said: “I don’t actually believe that these Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is that they’ve got control of Khan, they’ve got control of London.
“He’s actually given our capital city away to his mates.”
Mr Anderson was stripped of the Tory whip after he refused to apologise for the remarks. He instead doubled down on his comments although conceded his phrasing was “clumsy”.
Analysis by BBC chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman
Lee Anderson’s decision to join Reform is unquestionably a significant blow for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.
Despite having no MPs and just a small handful of councillors, Reform are reliably polling around 10%. That is a high enough figure that some Conservative MPs believe it is as important for them to win back voters they are losing to Reform as it is those who are switching to Labour.
By giving Reform a parliamentary figurehead for the first time, Mr Anderson may make it harder for the Conservatives to reunite the right.
There are some important caveats. Most importantly, Mr Anderson is not making his defection from a position of strength. He was suspended from the Conservative ranks at Westminster after accusing Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, of being controlled by Islamists.
Mr Anderson refused to apologise for his comments, making his suspension all but inevitable. There was grumbling from some Conservatives who wanted Mr Anderson to be handed a clear path back into the fold – but any such route would almost certainly have required him to apologise, which he again refused to do today.
It’s also worth noting that while Mr Anderson is well-known in Westminster for his pugnacious style, and has a show on GB News, he is not exactly a major national figure. Arguably a more worrying announcement for the Conservatives would have been the return of Nigel Farage to active campaigning duties.
Yet one person who definitely does rate Mr Anderson’s ability to connect with a slice of the British public is the prime minister himself. Mr Sunak appointed Mr Anderson a deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in February last year. And as recently as January Mr Anderson starred with him in a campaign video about how “we should be so proud of our country”.
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