It was last Saturday, November 11, when Chelsea surprised everyone by officially announcing the departure of its women’s coach, Emma Hayes. Rumors swiftly emerged almost immediately that she would take the helm of the U.S. Women’s National Team.

U.S. Soccer confirmed the appointment of Hayes, the current manager of the FA Women’s Super League team Chelsea, as the new head coach of the USWNT. According to a report from The Athletic, the contract makes her the highest-paid manager in the world of women’s soccer.

The agreement, which was officially revealed on Tuesday by the USSF, outline that Hayes will not leave the “Blues” immediately, and that her arrival will be gradual until a full takeover in May. That would be right before the 2024 Olympic Games. But the most substantial part of it, which many media outlets immediately picked up, was the one referring to the salary that Hayes will receive, especially since the collective bargaining agreements on equal pay were reached by the entity and the players in 2022.

A Convenient Agreement

It was revealed that Emma Hayes will see her income be equal to that of USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, who until last year received 1.6 million dollars and in theory would have adjusted his contract in 2023. This would make her the best-paid women’s coach on the planet.

Who is Emma Hayes?

Born in the London district of Camden, Hayes graduated from Liverpool Hope University and just two years after graduating, she obtained her first coaching position with the Long Island Lady Riders. She then went to Iona College in New Rochelle from 2003 to 2006 before landing the Academy Director position at Arsenal, a responsibility she left to later appear in 2012 in the orbit of Chelsea, where she lasted 11 long years until now.