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Chelsea’s summer overhaul has extended beyond the coaching staff and into football management, with chief executive Chris Jurasek becoming the latest high-profile departure as part of a behind-the-scenes shake-up.
The club has set up a new management committee, to run the commercial side of the club, which does not include Jurasek and will instead be led by chief operating officer Jason Gannon.
Telegraph Sport It has been reported that Jurasek, who has become unpopular with some sections of staff and supporters, has already stopped working at Chelsea as part of a plan to allow him to move on. He will remain available to provide advice but will no longer hold a permanent role.
The news comes just over a year after Chelsea announced Jurasek’s appointment as chief executive officer, coinciding with the departure of former company chairman Tom Glick, who was one of Clearlake Capital-Todd Boehly’s first hires.
New management committee in place
Jurasek also worked as an operating director at Clearlake, the US investment firm owned by Chelsea co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Jose E Feliciano, for the past 10 years.
At Clearlake, Jurasek was tasked with recruiting new management teams for the companies they acquired. – a mission he carried out successfully at Chelsea with the appointment of a number of senior executives.
It is alleged that, just as he is constantly moving on to the next project at Clearlake, Jurasek was always destined to leave Chelsea with a two-year deadline once a corporate management team was in place.
Jurasek said: “I am incredibly proud to have led this historic football club into its next chapter. We have accomplished the task of building a team on and off the pitch that means the club is well placed for long-term success.
“I have complete confidence in Jason and the management team that has been assembled and am grateful to have played a part in its creation.”
Eghbali, Feliciano and Boehly said, “We want to express our gratitude to Chris for accepting this position. He is an exceptional leader, as highlighted by the talented management team assembled during his tenure.”
Gannon assumes Jurasek’s responsibilities as president and COO and becomes a senior member of a new management committee that includes chief revenue officer Casper Stylsvig, James Murray, who has been promoted to chief strategy officer and chief business operations officer, and chief legal and corporate affairs officer James Bonington.
Todd Kline, who is on gardening leave before joining Tottenham Hotspur, and Phil Lynch, who worked at Manchester United, are expected to join the Chelsea board once their appointments are finalised.
While the new board will manage the commercial side of Chelsea, the day-to-day football operations will continue to be managed by sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.
Fans accused of being stingy
Jurasek was well liked and respected by some members of the staff, but his departure will not disappoint a section of Chelsea fans who were unhappy with some of the decisions made since his appointment.
It was in August last year, just months after Jurasek’s arrival, that Chelsea announced the decision to scrap the manager’s away travel subsidy, prompting an angry response from supporters who accused the club of stinginess.
Jurasek has also come under fire following a report that he referred to fans as “customers” during an internal meeting. Telegraph Sport He was said to have surprised staff by telling them on at least one occasion that he had “no interest in football”.
Responding to news of Jurasek’s departure, a spokesperson for the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust said: “The CST first met Mr Jurasek in August 2023 ahead of the League Cup match against AFC Wimbledon. During that heated meeting, he was hopeful that the team would perform well that night and get three points… this set the tone for his tenure as CEO, during which he made no effort to build a relationship with any group of supporters.
“The CST looks forward to working with Jason Gannon, who has been promoted to President and COO. This is a positive change that the club should use to rebuild fan confidence.”
In addition to continuing his work with Clearlake, Jurasek was appointed non-executive director of IRIS Software Group in May and, in July, became non-executive chairman of Cube.
The administrative shake-up comes at the end of a summer in which Chelsea changed head coach, staff and were one of the busiest clubs of the transfer window.
Despite all the changes, Chelsea are planning to make further additions to the commercial and sporting departments in the coming months.
