Emma Hayes wants sell-out crowd for Chelsea semi-final

Chelsea Women's team head coach Emma Hayes has called on fans to help sell out Stamford Bridge for their next game. The Blues are set to face Barcelona on Saturday, April 27 in the second leg of the Women's Champions League semifinals. The English side previously edged Barca Women 1-0 at the weekend thanks to […] Chelsea Women’s team head coach Emma Hayes has called on fans to help sell out Stamford Bridge for their next game. The Blues are set to face Barcelona on Saturday, April 27 in the second leg of the Women’s Champions League semifinals. The English side previously edged Barca Women 1-0 at the weekend thanks to a lone goal from Erin Cuthbert. Chelsea’s recent triumph in Spain was Barcelona’s first defeat on home soil in five years. While Hayes has been with the team for over a decade now, the win was one of her finest moments at the helm. Nevertheless, the job is not quite done yet and the Blues need a positive result on Saturday to advance to the Champions League final. Barca is currently the reigning champions of the competition. Emma Hayes hopes for first Stamford Bridge capacity crowd of season As of Monday, Chelsea has sold more than 27,000 total tickets for the upcoming massive match. Stamford Bridge currently has a maximum capacity of just over 40,000 people on matchdays. Although the club is quite a bit away from officially selling out its stadium, there is still time for fans to play their part in creating a stellar atmosphere for the game. Hayes was asked about the possibility of selling out Stamford Bridge on Monday. The coach not only wished the impressive feat would happen, but she claimed that it is crucial to her club. “It’s essential [that the game is sold out],” proclaimed Hayes. “Our girls deserve to play in front of a full house to give ourselves the best possible chance. We will need the crowd. Barcelona will throw absolutely everything at us. For us to progress, we need absolutely everything.” Chelsea Women’s typical home of Kingsmeadow holds just under 5,000 fans. However, they have played several matches in recent seasons at the usual men’s arena of Stamford Bridge. Attendance figures for the women’s side at the massive arena have fluctuated massively during the current campaign. For instance, around 3,400 fans purchased tickets for a previous Champions League match against Paris FC in November. Nevertheless, over 32,000 supporters looked on as the women’s team hosted rivals Arsenal in mid-March. This was the closest Chelsea Women has come to selling out Stamford Bridge this season. Women’s Champions League title has been the coach’s white whale A Chelsea triumph at the weekend would be huge for Hayes. While the legendary coach has collected six Women’s Super League and five Women’s FA Cup titles, she has yet to win a Champions League trophy. Potentially lifting the European title in her final season in charge of the club would be a perfect farewell for the manager. Hayes is set to take over as head coach of the United States women’s national team after Chelsea’s season ends. Chelsea’s upcoming key fixture with Barca will be shown live on DAZN and DAZN’s official YouTube channel at 12:30 p.m. ET. The winner of the matchup is set to face either Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain in the final on May 25. PHOTOS: IMAGO