By Ava- Marianne Elliott
Above: Jocelyn Prêcueur (left), Michele Kang (middle) and Kosovare Asllani (right) in the press conference marking the beginning of a new era for the club. Credit: Wing Chong
Under the leadership of new owner Michele Kang, London City Lionesses revealed a plethora of changes and announcements ahead of the 2024-2025 Barclay’s Women’s Championship season. It was a historic day for the club, marking the beginning of a new era for the Pride.
The 2023-2024 season was a tough one for the club, with the squad spending it fighting against relegation. After a huge effort and competitive fight to remain in the Championship, they managed to secure the eighth-place spot. Moving forwards and looking to the future, Kang addressed the changes in a conference that commenced on the 27th June.
Relocation
Arguably, the biggest change announced for the club was that they would be bidding farewell to Princes Park. London City has called the 4,100 capacity stadium in Dartford home since they were formed as an independent club in 2019. Now, with the club looking towards the future, they have taken their rightful place in London by moving to the Borough of Bromley.
Hayes Lane has been announced as the Pride’s new home stadium – sharing with Bromley FC. Alongside providing improved facilities for the squad, there is hope the relocation will encourage more people to fall in love with London City and the Women’s game.
“The installation of a hybrid-stitched pitch matches our aspirations to create the best environment for our players to showcase their talents and hopefully excite our fans with their performances on the pitch.” Natalie Curtis, the Director of Operations, added.
Last season, London City had a season full of record attendances, breaking previous turnouts across the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, Continental Tyres League Cup and the Barclay’s Women’s Championship fixtures. With Hayes Lane being able to house 5,000 supporters, the growth will hopefully be continuous.
Above: Michele Kang in yesterday’s conference. Credit: Wing Chong
Training Ground
Alongside the relocation of the squad’s home fixtures, the club have acquired sole ownership of their twenty three-acre training ground in Aylesford, with plans to convert it into a state of the art facility.
“In the short-term, we’re working inside the buildings to create space for the players to recuperate after training, have analysis meetings, and refuel with performance in mind. Having all of those things will help us make sure our players always feel like the priority.”
Following a first spell of renovations, the facility will be equipped with a world-class performance gym, new changing facilities, upgraded office suites, two high-quality grass training pitches and a full size artificial pitch.
“I’m committed to providing the best playing and training environments for my teams, and this actually marks the first of my three clubs to own their own training facilities. “I’m excited by our plans for our training ground, where we can truly train women as women.” commented Kang
The investment Kang has made in providing London City Lionesses with the equipment and space they need highlights the importance of giving female athletes access to top notch resources. The focus can shift to reaching full potential, offering the best environment for the players and staff to work in.
“Having exclusive use of the facility is absolutely everything because it means we can tailor everything – from gym equipment to changing rooms – so that they are designed specifically for female athletes, which means the First-Team and Academy will have access to everything they need”
Above: London City Lionesses new Head Coach, Jocelyn Prêcheur. Credit: Wing Chong
New Recruits
Last season, London City were subject to a string of managerial switches when head coach Carolina Morace and assistant Nicola Williams departed the club. Former WSL star Remi Allen temporarily replaced Morace, achieving four wins across six fixtures before leaving at the close of the season.
Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Jocelyn Prêcheur has been announced as the club’s new Head Coach, signing a three-year contract.
“Following an exhaustive global search, we were proud to appoint Jocelyn due to his proven track record in coaching at an elite level in the women’s game and successes in the 2023-24 season at Paris Saint-Germain, where he led the team to the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final.” Kang commented.
“Since I met Michele last season, I have admired her vision and dedication to the women’s game,” commented Prêcheur, who is now the sixth permanent Head Coach in London City Lionesses history. “The high-performance culture of winning she is building across her teams was a key part in my decision.”
As a proven winner with a broad range of experience across the elite level, there is hope that Prêcheur will be successful in leading the Pride to reaching new heights. With the club holding so much ambition, his mindset will undoubtedly be a huge driving factor in furthering the immense development we’ve already seen.
“In Jocelyn, we’ve found someone who matches our vision and we’re excited to have someone of his calibre aboard.”
Above: Kosovare Asllani announcing she would be making a move to the Championship side. Credit: Wing Chong
Prêcheur was not the only new addition to be revealed. Following the expiry of her contract at AC Milan, the club announced the massive signing of Swedish international Kosovare Asllani on a two- year deal.
Asllani’s achievements at the top flight in the Women’s game convey exactly what she adds to the London City squad. She brings with her a wealth of experience across the board, winning three national championships and two Damallsvenskan titles with Linköpings FC. Additionally, she played a role in helping Manchester City win their first ever Barclay’s Women’s Super League title years ago.
“I’m delighted to welcome Kosovare to the team.” Michele Kang, London City Lionesses owner, spoke on Asllani’s recruitment. “Her impressive achievements spanning international and club football speak volumes about her leadership and abilities, and we are all excited to see her in action at Hayes Lane this season.”
For Asllani, the driving factor that pulled her to the club was the investment in backing the women’s game and the vision that Kang has for the future.
“I am delighted to join London City Lionesses and look forward to contributing towards the team’s success. I am so excited by the team’s aspirations and can’t wait to meet my teammates and the fans.” Asllani commented.
With four new developments for the club already being announced so soon, the vision for the future is exciting, and under Kang’s ownership, it’s inevitable more advancements are to come.
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