Kieran Maguire: Roman Abramovich legacy in tatters as ‘disturbing’ new Chelsea details emerge
Roman Abramovich’s legacy at Chelsea has been further eroded by “disturbing” allegations of a toxic environment in their marketing department.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the organisation inherited by the new Todd Boehly regime.
Abramovich’s near-two-decade reign at Stanford Bridge came to an end in May when Boehly led a consortium to a £4.25billion takeover.
The transition of power came after Abramovich was forced to sell his UK-based assets because of his connections with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Now, a New York Times report published on Wednesday (29 June) details a bullying culture within Chelsea’s marketing department under Abramovich’s watch.
Around 10 staff members from the 50-person branch have left the club in recent times.
And, although it is not known whether the workplace culture was a direct cause, former head of Chelsea TV Richard Bignell tragically died by suicide earlier this year.
The Boehly regime must get on top of the problem immediately, insists Maguire.
“Culture is set by the top of an organisation,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“If these allegations have truth behind the, it is very disturbing. It is further erosion of the positive legacy that Abramovich has in the eyes of many Chelsea fans.
“Corporate culture comes from the boardroom and is transferred down through management. The buck, therefore, stops in the boardroom. The new owners need to identify this.
“There is something known as McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y which I think applies here.
“In terms of motivating people, Theory X proposes that people are inherently lazy and can’t be trusted and you therefore have to make their lives uncomfortable to make them productive.
“Theory Y says that people will be more productive if they feel more valued. If you feel more valued, you tend to work more hours and be more creative.
“It’s in Chelsea’s best interest to sort this out. They run the risk of losing talent if they have a demotivated staff. You need creative people in the marketing department.
“So it’s in the interests of the employees working in these horrendous conditions themselves but it’s also in Chelsea’s own interests.”
In other news, pundit suggests Mohamed Salah could now sign for Chelsea as “huge” Liverpool claim made.