It’s been a busy day of announcements from the FAWSL champions. We hear from Blues boss Emma Hayes on her team’s summer showdowns with top European and North American sides plus the arrival of Ève Perisset (8/6/22).
Above: Ève Perisset signs on the dotted line after joining Chelsea from Paris St. Germain today. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Chelsea FC Women.
Emma Hayes’ squad will take part in this summer’s Women’s International Champions Cup (WICC) in Portland, USA.
Following the Blues triumphant end to the season winning both the Barclays FA Women’s Super League for the third consecutive year and the Vitality Women’s FA Cup for the second year in a row, the squad will head to Portland, Oregon to face three champions from around the world with the aim to be named the world’s best club team.
The tournament, organised by Relevant Sports Group will take place between August 17-20 at Providence Park in Portland, home of the Portland Thorns. The tournament will consist of four matches played as two doubleheaders. Chelsea Women will take on Champions League and D1 Féminine winners, Olympique Lyonnais in the opening European round with the NWSL Shield and Challenge Cup winners, Portland Thorns up against the Torneo Grita México Apertura 2021 winners, C.F. Monterrey in an all-North American battle.
This will set up a European vs. North American final on August 20th, as the winners of the first doubleheader meet, while the clubs that lose in the first doubleheader will play in the third-place match on the same day. Portland will be looking to defend their WICC title, after previously defeating defending champions Lyon in a thrilling 1-0 victory.
The WICC matches will be televised live in both English and Spanish on the ESPN networks and will be broadcast globally in over 140 territories. Tickets will go on sale on June 21st on the ICC website with updates available via @ICCWomen and Instagram and Twitter.
Emma Hayes commented on the news: “We are really excited to take part in the WICC and relish this unique opportunity for the chance to be crowned the world’s best club team following an unforgettable season and a fantastic summer of football. We can’t wait to see our Blues supporters cheering us on in Portland.
RSG CEO Daniel Sillman was equally excited about the announcement, saying: “Each year the WICC competition grows as the world’s top players circle their calendars for the chance to be crowned the best club in the world. We are honored to be hosting the stars of the game on the biggest stage and we hope to inspire the next generation of girls and boys to compete in the world’s game.
Earlier in the day, Chelsea announced the signing of French international Ève Perisset on a three-year deal.
Perisset will join from French D1 Arkema side Bordeaux on 1st July, the 27-year-old has signed with the Blues until summer 2025 and will wear shirt number 15.
The versatile defender started her professional career at Olympique Lyonnais in 2012 where she stayed until the end of the 2015/16 season before making the move to Paris St. Germain in 2016. While at Lyon, she won the league and the Coupe de France Feminine four times while also lifting the latter at PSG for the fifth time. Perisset signed for Bordeaux in June 2020 where she has played both full-back positions and in midfield with 45 appearances for the Girondins and over 125 D1 appearances across her career.
On the international stage, Perisset brings a wealth of experience to Kingsmeadow with 34 caps to her name since her senior debut against Brazil in 2016, most significantly representing Les Bleues in the UEFA European Championship in 2017 and the FIFA World Cup in 2019. With her home nation, she has won the Tournoi de France and the She Believes Cup. The French national has been selected for this summer’s Euros and is currently training with the squad in France.
The experienced international also has significant European experience, having played in the last nine UEFA Champions League tournaments representing Bordeaux, Paris Saint-Germain, and Lyon where she went on to take the winners medal in the 2015/16 season.
Upon signing Perisset said: “It’s a fantastic honour to join Chelsea and to be the first French female player to become a Blue. I am very thankful for the opportunity that has been given to me.
“The time was right for me to make this big move to London and join the Super League and I cannot wait to meet the team and the fans later this summer at Kingsmeadow and at the famous Stamford Bridge!”
Commenting on Perisset’s move to the Blues, Emma Hayes said: “Eve brings a wealth of experience and is a versatile player who is able to play in both full-back positions and midfield.
“A tenacious defender, with her mentality and professionalism we have no doubt she will complement the group well. We really look forward to welcoming Eve to the team later this summer as we head into the new season.”
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