Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has praised Hannah Hampton’s “class” after Mary Earps’ recent comments about the England goalkeeper sparked controversy.
Earps questioned manager Sarina Wiegman’s decision to make Hampton England’s number one for Euro 2025, claiming she told Wiegman she was “rewarding bad behaviour” by recalling Hampton, who had previously been dropped for being “disruptive and unreliable.”
Bompastor, speaking after Chelsea’s 2-0 WSL win over London City Lionesses, hit back at the remarks.
“It’s not acceptable to disrespect team-mates or managers,” she said. “When you speak about someone who has won the Euros three times in a row, you should probably think before you talk. Between the two of them, Hannah is the class one.”
Hampton, 24, was recalled to the England squad last year and played a key role in their Euro 2025 title, saving two penalties in the shootout win over Spain. She was also named best female goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or awards in September.
The controversy emerged just as Earps promoted her upcoming autobiography. In response to the backlash, the former England keeper said her words had been taken out of context and that “things have escalated really quickly,” adding, “I would never intentionally say things to hurt someone.”
Bompastor continued to back her player, saying Hampton had matured and proven her professionalism.
“She’s grown so much since I joined Chelsea,” Bompastor said. “She’s an amazing athlete, a great person, and today showed how professional she is. For me, she’s the best goalkeeper in the world — not just physically, but mentally.”
Hampton kept her third consecutive clean sheet on Saturday, reinforcing her manager’s faith amid an ongoing public debate.
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