A couple for 13 years - and even parents! Trainer duo drops love bomb
London (United Kingdom) - Sonia Bompastor (44) is one of the most dazzling personalities in French women's soccer and, alongside Sandrine Soubeyrand (51) and Marinette Pichon (49), is considered one of the greatest players the country has produced. However, little was known about her life off the pitch - until now.
In her autobiography published yesterday (Wednesday), the 44-year-old not only looked back on her glorious career, but also gave intimate insights into her love life. She revealed that she has been in a long-term relationship with former team-mate and current assistant coach Camille Abily (40).
"Talking about my life with Camille, about our relationship after - as I call it - 13 years of lying, is still a subject we're not ready for," Bompastor confessed in an interview with the sports daily L'Équipe.
According to her, life in the UK's metropolis of London and working with the Chelsea Women FC coaching team helped her to take this step: "In hindsight and with our different experiences, we tell ourselves that it should have been clear from the start," she continued.
Even though they now have four children together, aged between three and nine, they still found it difficult to talk openly about it.
Sonia Bompastor and Camille Abily separate their private and professional lives
Abily, who was also present at the interview, continued her partner's line of thought - and explained her decision to keep the love affair a secret as follows: "I think it's first and foremost about our own acceptance. Everyone around us, our children, know about it, it's not a problem. We were lucky, it went very well."
The two met during their time together as professional players at Olympique Lyon.
After their active careers ended, they stayed with the club and helped the domestic top club to several titles, including three national championships and a Champions League title.
They have been on the Blues' touchline since the summer of last year, but even there they keep their private and professional lives strictly separate: "We don't work together because we are a couple, but because we complement each other," said Abily - before her bompastor agreed: "Camille is not my wife at work. If you ask other employees, they certainly won't know that we're a couple."