Roman Abramovich sent a message of congratulation to Emma Hayes within hours of Chelsea being crowned Women's Super League champions on Friday, with the head coach saying that the owner's support and increasing knowledge has made the club flagbearers in England.
Hayes, who won her seventh major trophy by virtue of a controversial points per game system, said that the club has never been more joined-up in their work between departments and believes that it could set a platform for a period of dominance.
Asked by football.london if Abramovich had been in contact, Hayes said: "Yes, I received messages from the whole board. The pride they have for the team..."
"Even in Israel with the owner [during a pre-season visit last summer], he spoke so openly about his growing knowledge of the women's game and his interest in our team. Always in the conversations. I'm extremely fortunate that I have meetings with the top people at Chelsea regularly.
"The message is clear: our owner is a big fan of the team and a big fan of women's football. He always asks me beyond our team what he can do for our game. Like I keep saying to him, keep supporting our club to the best of our ability so we can be flagbearers."
Chelsea, who had been unbeaten, were crowned champions despite being second in the table when the season was paused and eventually curtailed but leaders Manchester City had played an extra game.
By the points per game metric used by the FA, Chelsea had an average of 2.6 with City on 2.5 and third-placed Arsenal on 2.4.
The Blues effectively won the trophy, then, by drawing 3-3 away to City in the final game before the pandemic took hold.
Hayes said that she is already plotting how to fend off the challenges of City and Arsenal next season despite uncertainties post-coronavirus and revealed that she remains driven by the fear of being sacked despite close to a decade of success.
"I don't sit still much," Hayes said. "I've always been incredibly driven and determined - two key words I'd use to describe myself. I work in fear of losing my job and being sacked. That drives the standard with me.
"The fear of losing, the fear of being second and not being the best sits so well with the club I work for. When I've got an owner that is so supportive of the drive to winning, I tihnk there's a perfect marriage between Chelsea and myself.
"I'm grateful I've got an owner who gets me and understands that while I'm here I will always keep doing my best to trophies with him.
"We're more joined-up than ever. The philosophy, methodoly is clear so it's easy for us to comprehend. I'm excited for Chelsea's future beyond my time as well."
That joined-up approach is in stark contrast to Liverpool, whose team were relegated from the WSL with disputes over whether the players were on professional deals.
Elaborating on Abramovich's impact, Hayes added: "Without what we achieved together there would not have been success. The evolution... we've been able to win seven trophies.
"I can only speak positively of what that relationship has done for the club and the team. But when you think about it, when I came to Chelsea in 2012 we were an amateur team, largely speaking, and we've gone from there to where we are now.
"That is a key reason why we're in this position."
