Report: Abramovich to Take More Hands-on Role After Emenalo's Chelsea Exit
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been tipped to temporarily take a more 'hands on' role at the club following the resignation of Michael Emenalo as technical director in a bid to ensure that stability is maintained and there are no unsettling effects on the coaching staff or players.
News of Emenalo's decision to quit first surfaced earlier this week, with claims that he was choosing to step away in part to remove himself from a potential three-way power battle with chief negotiator Marina Granovskaia and manager Antonio Conte.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Abramovich recently visited Chelsea's Cobham training ground in a bid to get Emenalo, who first joined the club as a chief scout in 2007, to change his mind.
The fact that the Nigerian resigned his position rather than be sacked by Abramovich is said to be a unique situation at Chelsea, with the Russian billionaire almost always the one making the decisions about who comes and goes at what time.
And because the Telegraph notes that there is no succession plan in place for Emenalo suggests that Abramovich was confident he could persuade his ally to stay.
It is said that the owner has now spoken to Granovskaia, who will take on several of Emenalo's duties - maybe even some permanently, chairman Bruce Buck and senior board member Eugene Tenenbaum about the matter and how things will proceed.
The newspaper report explains that, ultimately, Abramovich will have to decide whether he wants to find a like for like replacement for Emenalo, someone who reported directly to him, or permanently alter the structure of the club by handing over more control to Granovskaia.