Chelsea 2026 has been one to forget, back-to-back losses in the WSL for the first time since 2015, and the first time Sonia Bompastor has experienced that in hermanageriall career. The WSL title slipped from your grasp, and you thought it was the lowest it could get. But the decline of the treble holders, who sit third in the WSL, nine points behind Manchester City, has got progressively worse.
It has been described as “like watching a masterpiece being torn apart,” setting the tone for a club in unfamiliar disarray.
This is only added because of Paul Green's shocking departure after 13 years at the club. He was informed earlier on Monday afternoon and was then reportedly told by Bompastor. An internal email sent at 7.54 pm informed staff that a method, at least one senior player called “disgraceful.”
The responsibilities he held will be absorbed by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, who have never worked within a women's team. They have described this move as one to restore leadership balance, which was no longer “optional” and was not operating at the elite level.
13 years of service, all put in a 134-word statement, no quotes of thanks or gratitude by board members. While he was never one for the limelight, Chelsea was his second family. He was with the squad onSundayy against Spurs. He regularly travels with the squad to matches. This brief farewell is jarring, given his importance and impact on the club. He helped, alongside Emma Hayes, turn the women's team from part-time to a serial winner and one of the most valuable women’s sports teams.
Less than 24 hours after the announcement, 14 past and present players, as well as Emma Hayes, paid tribute on Instagram.
Their heartfelt gratitude to the man who signed them to the clubs stood in contrast to the official club line.
There was no reason for Green’s departure. This move is merely enough of a sign that Chelsea Women's is modernising and changing. Since the post-Hayes era, no individual has had just influence.
This does not look hopeful for the future. Green was the transfer-market mastermind overseeing world-record deals and contract renewals. Still, in January, it was announced that, before the window opened, they would not be bringing in any stars.
This move comes as the fan bases on both sides have become increasingly frustrated with their owners, BlueCo, who have been making changes to things that are not broken. “If it ain't broken, why fix it?” There has been significant restructuring and reshaping of the women's side since 2022, including the sale of the women's team for £200 million to meet financial fair play requirements.
Neither Winstanley nor Stewart had prior experience with women’s football. Despite Mandhar’s appointment to grow resources independent of the men’s team, Green remained responsible for core football decisions, though his authority steadily diminished.
Sources say Green’s exit followed months of tension caused by increasing involvement from the men’s sporting hierarchy. Decision-making became centralised, with recruitment requiring sign-off through multiple layers, many of whom were also handling men’s transfers.
While Green remained theexternal point of ccontact hisinternal controly was reduced. Several senior figures in the women’s game expressed frustration at the resulting bureaucracy. Two sources say the club's culture has worsened since BlueCo’s arrival, which has increased internal competition among staff to be more efficient and more valuable to the club. Surveys asking staff to rate departments have led to finger-pointing rather than collaboration.
This may seem shocking, but on the men's side, managers have been fired for disagreeing with ownership.
Many agents have said it has become more difficult to sign contracts with teh clubs as ut has to go multiple layers above green over in the mens teams this will not help their recruitment process in the summer after many players contracts expire and without Green at the helm to sign those contract extension they could see mutliple of their frist time players work out on a free, which is a big concern for teh club losing the likes of homegrown talents AGgie Beever-Jones and international stars like Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton. Eight senior players are out of contract. Contract uncertainty will increase with his departure from the club.
The co-sporting directors are reportedly more involved and pulling the strings in the transfer window. Some ideas were welcomed, but others felt his lack of experience in the women’s game led to misjudgments. One source described the club as trying to “fix what is not broken.”
Despite the downturn, Chelsea publicly backed Bompastor, announcing a contract extension until 2030. While this reassured players, it also raised questions given Green’s exit days later. In the announcement of her contract extensions, there were no quotes from Green, which is uncommon, as he is always quoted in these situations.
Bompastor herself hinted at dissatisfaction with January recruitment before later stressing internal alignment.
Sources highlight a shift away from Hayes’ emphasis on tactical theory and football education. Previously, this approach allowed players to self-analyse and adapt in matches.
This season, assumptions that players can self-coach have led to gaps in understanding, particularly among younger players. Erin Cuthbert’s post-match comments about “forgetting how to play football” reflect this concern.
Players are reportedly less clear about what it means to play for Chelsea. Hayes’ fierce competitiveness set non-negotiable standards. Bompastor, though highly competitive, is viewed as less direct in communicating expectations. The result of this will be catastrophic, leading to imbalance- mentally, tactically and communicatively.
The exit of Green marks the dismantling of a system that has delivered title after title through sustained excellence. His removal has raised questions about the club's long-term vision, governance, autonomy, and cultural identity, which they have effectively destroyed from the inside out. One of the pillars of Chelsea’s decade-long dominance has been removed, and the consequences are only beginning to show.
It is also understood that cliques are emerging in the Chelsea dressing room, a situation that is not unusual across the WSL and other sporting teams. However, this is the first time in the modern era that there has been any real concern about the squad's overall unity, as reported.
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