Where Todd Boehly went wrong in Chelsea nightmare
By Karan Saini
The backroom clear out
Soon after the takeover, The American let go of Marina Granovskaia who held the Chief Executive position. Granovskaia was responsible for all the transfers at the club, and she attained major deals for the team, including the Eden Hazard departure that was worth up to £130m in 2019. She won The Best Director in European Football award in December 2021 at the golden boy awards. An executive with a vast knowledge of the European football landscape and a great negotiator.
The new owner could have benefited from her insights and made better decisions in the market. Boehly is a successful businessman but does not have experience in European football deals. Club legend and technical and performance advisor, Peter Cech also decided to step away from his role.
The clear out did not stop at the management level, it found its way to other departments at the Bridge too. Long-serving head physio, Thierry Laurent was sacked from the club after 17 years of service. Laurent was let go during the international break in September 2022 over a brief Zoom call. Physiotherapist Jose Calvarro was also let go from the treatment room. The American owners decided to bring in their medical staff yet many players suffered from injuries throughout the season.
The ground employees were next to receive the axe. Father and son, Jason Griffin and Reisse Griffin were fired by the new ownership. Jason had been head groundsman since 2003. Griffin had won many awards for the work he and his team did at Cobham, Stamford Bridge, and Kingsmeadow. Groundsman being sacked is not a usual theme in football.