The managers making their WSL debuts in 2024-25

The next Women's Super League season is on the horizon and it's not just on the pitch where there are plenty of fresh faces. BBC Sport takes a look at the league's new bosses and what you can expect from them. Robert de Pauw wants to unify the playing style's of Aston Villa's men's and women's teams - it was something he did at his last club, creating synergy with Xabi Alonso's men’s side while in charge of Bayer Leverkusen's women.

He replaces Carla Ward , who stepped down at the end of the season, as Villa manager. The 43-year-old De Pauw guided Leverkusen to a sixth-placed finish last term and also has experience of managing in his native Netherlands. he won a league and cup double while in charge of FC Twente in 2022.



De Pauw has signed a three-year deal with the club and says his immediate aim is to get them to finish in the top six - one place above last year's seventh-place finish. "You have to be realistic," he said of his ambitions. "[Manchester] United are there.

Spurs are there. Brighton is bringing good players, and Leicester is bringing good players in. "That makes the competition so interesting.

They are really investing, all. So there's a lot of competition, but we want to be in the top six, and we'll aim for that." After another season in which they changed their manager, Brighton will hope Dario Vidosic can provide the consistency they desire.

Brighton implemented significant investments off the pitch and have now recruited Vidosic from Australian side Melbourne City in a bid to perform better in the WSL. Croatia-born Vidosic, 37, joins after a successful season with Melbourne City in which they won the A-League premiership, although they lost to Sydney FC in the grand final. His father, Rado, was a player and manager in Australia and was in charge of Melbourne City's women's and men's teams before Dario.

Vidosic followed in his father's footsteps and became a professional player, representing Australia and having spells in leagues in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and China. He takes over from interim boss Mikey Harris, who led Brighton to finish ninth after Melissa Phillips was sacked in February. Emma Hayes' silverware-laden era as Chelsea manager is a tough act to follow, but Sonia Bompastor will hope she's well placed to do so.

The 44-year-old Frenchwoman joins Chelsea with an excellent managerial record, having led Lyon to three league titles and one Champions League. Chelsea have never won Europe's top competition but Bompastor has. She said she wants to take Chelsea "to the next level".

Her managerial career came after an illustrious spell as a player, becoming one of France's all-time greats and twice lifting the Champions League before retiring. "Being able to win the Champions League will be a big challenge because there are a lot of really competitive clubs in Europe, but I think we have all the talent in the squad to go to the final and have a chance to win it," she said. Bompastor spent time as head of Lyon’s academy, so she may also be the right person to bring Chelsea’s wealth of young talent to the top level.

“Some other coaches will probably be able to do the same but from my experience I would say it's always good for the young players to get someone [specialised],” she added. Laura Kaminski only embarked on her first season of senior management in the summer of 2023, but now she's reached the top flight. Kaminski took Crystal Palace to the Championship title last term, guiding them through a closely-fought battle at the top to earn their spot in the WSL.

It was a demanding title race, but Kaminski kept her cool. She said she never looked at the table and trusted that performances would pay off. "I am a thorough believer that the performances will speak for themselves, and if you perform well each week, then the proof's in the pudding.

" Kaminski, who was previously an assistant at Tottenham when they were promoted to the WSL, also spent five years in charge of England's under-19 team. Life in the top division of English football will be a big change for Palace, but Kaminski said she hopes her team will relish it and show why they are here. "They put themselves in a position where they all deserve to be there, so now go and show the world what you're capable of doing at the top level, because there's eyes all over it and you deserve to be seen," she added.

Amandine Miquel's life has taken her from France to Mexico, to Chelsea's academy, to the Indian ocean island of Reunion - and now, to Leicester. She joins from Rei ms in France's top flight and has vowed to deliver a Leicester team who provide "fun". The 40-year-old played for Chelsea as a youth player and ended up at Reims after pivoting to management, spending seven years there and guiding them back to the top tier.

Reims reached three Coupe de France quarter-finals in the past five years despite having one of the division's smaller budgets. What might Miquel's Leicester team look like? "It's a game so we expect it to be nice to watch," she said. "Offensive - we will defend a little bit because we don't want to take too many goals, but as offensive as you can be.

"For us it's about scoring one more goal than the opponent and that’s it.".