Emma Hayes, who has dominated the women’s game with her remarkable work at Chelsea, stands out not only among female colleagues but also surpasses many male managers who consider themselves “great managers.” At Chelsea, Hayes won 16 championships.
She later moved to the USWNT, where, in just a few months, she revitalized the program and won the 2024 Summer Olympic Games gold medal. Hayes has been recognized for her contributions with numerous coaching accolades and is often praised for her ability to adapt her strategies and inspire her teams.
In a recent BBC interview, Hayes was candid about the barriers preventing female coaches from entering the men’s game.
USWNT Manager Emma Hayes on Female Coaches in the Men’s Game
When asked about the prospect of coaching in the men’s game, Hayes remarked, “You can find a female pilot, a female doctor, a female lawyer, a female banker, but you can’t find a female coach…” When the host questioned why female coaches are not present in the men’s game, Hayes responded, “I think you need to ask (executives) that question.
“I think (men’s soccer) is a place where the large majority have been males in that situation (as head coaches), and often people don’t think that a female can manage a dressing room of male characters.”
When asked again if Hayes would be interested in coaching men, the USWNT manager stated, “I manage about 25 men every day; they’re just the staff I work with. I never thought the players would be the problem. I think players want to be coached, and if the best available coach happens to be female, they’ll get around it just like they do with anything else in life.”