Angry Chelsea board demand answers after shock Emma Hayes exit

Robin Bairner

9 Nov 2023 08:22 GMT
3 min read

Emma Hayes will leave Chelsea for the USWNT — © ProShots

Emma Hayes’ shock decision to depart Chelsea at the end of the season is set to see the pressure on sporting director Paul Winstanley increase from the board.

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While the men’s team of Chelsea linger in mid-table of the Premier League, the Blues’ ladies top the WSL after five matches, claiming four wins and a draw, including a 6-0 success over Aston Villa last weekend.

The long-term stability of the ladies’ section, though, is threatened by the news that the highly rated Hayes will depart the club at the end of the season, when her contract expires. It is expected that she will take up a role with the US national women’s team.

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The implications could impact the male side, too, is threatened with this news. The Daily Mail reports that the board are set to question Winstanley over his role in the departure of Hayes, who had been in post since 2012 and had indicated her willingness to remain at the club when contract talks initially opened.

Why Emma Hayes is leaving Chelsea

It is stated that Winstanley delayed negotiations with Hayes as he had other priorities to focus on, with the manager approached by US Soccer in the meantime, during which she accepted the job.

The Chelsea board, meanwhile, are unhappy with the way that events played out with a manager who was said to be more qualified than Frank Lampard to lead the men’s team last season.

As for Winstanley, the sporting director is already under scrutiny after a year in the post following two transfer windows in which the Blues have spent big but have struggled to reap the rewards of such investment.

Furthermore, Chelsea already face questions over their ability to retain managers on the male side, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard all experiencing significant periods in charge of the first team during the 2022/23 campaign before Mauricio Pochettino took over for the current season.