Chelsea news – Former director Marina Granovskaia has been seen making a return to Stamford Bridge one year after her exit from the club.
Former Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia has made two returns to the club in the past year following her exit from the Blues in summer of 2022, it has been reported.
The Russian-Canadian business executive joined the club in 2010 and then the board in 2013 until she was appointed director in 2014, serving in that role for eight-years. Granovskaia was often in charge of transfer business and contract renewals, with plenty of debate over the deals she conducted.
Players such as N’Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Antonio Rudiger will go down as roaring successes, but questions may be asked over the likes of Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Romelu Lukaku. In 2021, Granovskaia was handed the Best Director award following Chelsea’s Champions League triumph.
However, things would all change in the following months as the club would go into a turbulent period. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to sanctions being placed on owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government due to alleged ties with Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin – something he personally refutes.
With the club placed under special sporting regulations by the government, a sale was on the cards that was eventually secured by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital as a consortium. That brought about plenty of change from top to bottom as they looked to totally transform the model.
Granovskaia was one of the casualties of such change as she was let go, having held a close relationship with Abramovich as part of Chelsea’s hierarchy. Speaking to a fan as part of an email last year, she said: “Apologies for the delay in getting back to you, it has been a very intense week.
Thank you for reaching out and for the very kind message, it really means a lot. I am obviously very sad to be leaving the Club that has been a huge part of my life for the past 20 years but I am taking with me the great moments we all shared together and wonderful people I met along the way. Once again, thank you for writing, I am genuinely grateful. Kind regards, Marina.”
Granovskaia has since made two returns to Chelsea, with the latest being pictured at the Chelsea legends game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as part of a fundraiser in memory of Gianluca Vialli. According to the Telegraph, both visits have not been an invite on behalf of the new ownership.
It remains to be seen what is next for Granovskaia, whether that’s within football or elsewhere.
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