Finance guru: There is ‘upheaval’ behind the scenes at Chelsea as senior duo exit
It was always expected that there would be “upheaval” at Chelsea following May’s takeover – but that will not make the transition period any less challenging.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the latest news from behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea confirmed last Thursday (22 September) that communications guru Steve Atkins has left to join McLaren Racing.
Atkins was one of the most respected operators in the Premier League and spent 14 years in West London.
His exit came in the same week that commercial director Damian Willoughby, who had been in the post for less than a month, also exited the club for far more scurrilous reasons.
The former Man City marketing tsar was fired after it emerged that he had sent inappropriate texts to a female finance agent prior to his arrival at Chelsea.
The Blues have parted company with Bruce Buck, Petr Cech, Marina Granovskia and Thomas Tuchel since a consortium led by Todd Boehly completed a £2.5billion buyout of the club a little over three months ago.
Plumley assessed how further turmoil among the club’s high-ranking staff will affect Chelsea’s day-to-day operations.
“It’s always a blow to lose someone like Atkins, who is vastly experienced,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Some of this turnover of staff in recent times has been because of the consequence of their actions and some has been more deliberate.
“You expect quite a bit of upheaval when you take over a football club like this. The new consortium has got loads of ideas and wants to get their feet under the table, so you would expect a bit of movement.
“But 14 years in the game is a long time. That experience is something they will miss. You just hope that the new person can fill those shoes quickly.”
In other news, Carney Chukwuemeka could now explode at Chelsea after what pundit has seen.