Chelsea part ways with head of women's football Paul Green

Chelsea have announced the departure of Paul Green, the club’s long-serving head of women’s football, bringing the curtain down on a 13-year tenure that helped transform the Women’s Super League side into the most decorated team of the domestic era.

Green arrived at Kingsmeadow in February 2013 as assistant manager to Emma Hayes after crossing the divide from Doncaster Rovers Belles. What followed was a sustained assault on the domestic honours list: 19 trophies, six consecutive WSL titles and a reputation for ruthless squad building that turned Chelsea into the benchmark for professionalism in the English women’s game.

Operating largely away from the spotlight, Green’s remit expanded from the training-ground tactics board to the corridors of recruitment. As general manager he oversaw player acquisitions that underpinned a culture of relentless winning, earning quiet praise from rival executives who labelled him “the unsung architect” of the club’s rise.

In May 2024 Green was instrumental in the search that appointed Sonia Bompastor as Hayes’ successor, working alongside co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart to secure the French coach on the eve of another title run. Bompastor duly delivered an unbeaten league campaign, yet the new season has brought fresh scrutiny after back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City—the club’s first successive losses since 2015.

Chelsea moved quickly to steady the ship, handing Bompastor a two-year contract extension last week, but Monday’s confirmation of Green’s exit re-opens questions about the direction of the women’s set-up. A club statement thanked the 45-year-old for “his dedication and service over more than a decade” and praised “his commitment, experience and professionalism” during a period of unprecedented success.

Inside the club, the mood is described as one of gratitude and transition. Green’s knack for succession planning—identifying talent early and selling at peak value—kept Chelsea ahead of tightening league regulations and an increasingly competitive market. Staff speak of a meticulous operator who preferred data rooms to headlines, yet whose influence permeated every level of the women’s programme.

With Green’s departure, Chelsea lose one of the last remaining figures who bridged the gap between the amateur days and the fully professional present. The reshuffle leaves Winstanley and Stewart to oversee a football department now without its long-term strategic compass, at a moment when the reigning champions are already searching for the form that defined their record-breaking 2023-24 campaign.

Chelsea have given no indication of an immediate replacement, and sources suggest the structure of the role could be re-imagined as the club continues to integrate the women’s and men’s football operations. For now, the focus shifts to Bompastor’s evolving squad and whether the extended contract can arrest a stuttering start that has suddenly made the defence of their title look less certain than at any point in the last decade.

Paul Green leaves without fanfare, but those who watched Chelsea’s ascent know the next chapter will be written in the shadow of his quiet legacy.