Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia is set to leave the club this summer, according to The Telegraph. It comes after nine-years since the 47-year-old was appointed to the board by former owner Roman Abramovich.
It would be the second potential huge exit at Stamford Bridge this summer, following news chairman Bruce Buck is to step down from his role at the end of June. The two were key staples of the Abramovich era, often pictured with the Russian during his time at the club, and were huge drivers for the success that was seen.
However, with the Todd Boehly era now in full flow it appears as though the tough decisions have been made, with Buck confirming that he will stay on as an advisor, though Granovskaia's role is still yet to be confirmed. Her ties to the club began with the former chairman back in 1997 with Russian oil company Sibneft, where she acted as his personal assistant, before moving to London upon the purchase of Chelsea in 2003.
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Granovskaia was handed control over transfers in 2010, before being appointed to the board in 2013. In 2021 she was awarded the Best Club Director in European Football, following the Blues' triumph in the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel.
On receiving the award, she said: "I am delighted to receive this award, and I do so on behalf of the club. It is a team sport and in the boardroom it is just as much of a team sport as on the pitch.
"It was a season we will not forget in a hurry. It was a difficult year with some tough decisions we had to make but we won the Champions League for the second time, then the Super Cup and the Women’s team were very successful too, also getting to the Champions League final, winning the Super League and the FA Cup. We are very pleased with how the year went."
However, it appears her stay is set to come to an end following a turbulent few months at Stamford Bridge. Former owner Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, putting a freeze on all of his UK assets, leaving the Blues operating under a special sporting licence.
After months of uncertainty, the 55-year-old eventually sold the club to Boehly in his joint bid with Clearlake Capital. With Granovskaia and Buck, two clear parts of the previous regime, now gone, it ushers in the new era with the owner now set to take over duties with transfers.
