Chelsea confirm Marina Granovskaia exit; Todd Boehly named interim sporting director

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Chelsea confirm Marina Granovskaia exit; Todd Boehly named interim sporting director

Chelsea have announced the departure of long-serving director Marina Granovskaia as part of the shake-up of the Stamford Bridge boardroom.

Chairman Bruce Buck will step down from his position at the end of the month and Granovskaia, a long-time assistant to former owner Roman Abramovich, is now set to follow.

In her place, new owner Todd Boehly will operate as interim sporting director while the search for a replacement is ongoing, although Chelsea have confirmed that Granovskaia will remain available to the club for the remainder of the transfer window.

"We thank Marina for her many years of excellent service to the Club and wish her all the best in her future ventures," Boehly said.

Granovskaia's departure comes as Chelsea confirmed the make-up of their new board of directors.

Boehly has been named as chairman and he has been joined by:

• Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, co-controlling owners of Chelsea FC, and co-founders and managing partners of Clearlake Capital

• Mark Walter, co-owner of Chelsea FC, co-founder and CEO of Guggenheim Partners, owner of Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Sparks

• Hansjörg Wyss, co-owner of Chelsea FC, founder of the Wyss Foundation

• Jonathan Goldstein, co-owner of Chelsea FC, co-founder and CEO of Cain International

• Barbara Charone, director and co-founder of MBC PR

• Lord Daniel Finkelstein OBE, columnist and former executive editor of The Times

• James Pade, partner and managing director of Clearlake Capital

"As custodians of Chelsea FC, we now begin executing our long-term vision and plan for the Club, creating an outstanding experience for its passionate, loyal fans, and continuing to challenge for top honours in line with Chelsea FC’s decorated history," Boehly said.

"Working together, side-by-side, we are firmly committed to winning, both on and off the pitch. For us, that effort has begun."

Clearlake Capital's Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano added: "As the new era of the Boehly-Clearlake ownership begins, we are excited to build a championship organisation and grow Chelsea FC as a global platform.

"We look forward to backing Thomas Tuchel, Emma Hayes and their teams, and will provide proactive, unbending support to make Chelsea’s loyal fans and our partners proud."