Why Chelsea’s win over Liverpool is a first step into uncharted territory

KINGSTON, England — Chelsea entered a new era this weekend following the departure of general manager Paul Green, the architect behind the club’s 12-year dominance of domestic women’s football. Their Women’s Super League clash with Liverpool on Sunday was their first step into uncharted territory.

Green, who had been at the club since 2013, couldn’t have picked a worse time to leave. Chelsea were still reeling from defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City that left their WSL title defence in tatters and threatened qualification to European football next season. They have a Women’s League Cup final on the way, and must now navigate the business end of both the FA Cup and Women’s Champions League.

The club’s new era without Green began with a 2-0 win, suggesting that uncertainty upstairs had not yet spilt onto the pitch.

“It was a tough week, to be honest,” Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said after the match. “We are all humans, and I think when you just move on a member of your staff, it hurts.

“We tried to focus a little bit on the game as well, so I think we did well considering everything that happened this week.”

This was the first time since 2012 that Chelsea played a game with neither former head coach Emma Hayes — now managing the United States women’s national team — nor Green at the club, and his absence could not be ignored.

He played a role in bringing in every member of Chelsea’s starting XI, including both goal scorers Sjoeke Nüsken and Lauren James. That was just one part of his outsized role that also included day-to-day operations such as travel schedules, meal timings, training days and rest periods, as well as handling player contracts.

It’s no wonder that veteran players such as Millie Bright and Sam Kerr were quick to post on social media after Green’s departure was announced, describing him as a “big, big loss for the club.” Fans at Kingsmeadow followed suit. A pre-match protest against his treatment was rained off, but they began chanting his name in the 13th minute. “There’s only one Paul Green” was followed by “Paul Green is always a Blue” and “Paul Green, we love you.”

For much of his time in London, Green and Hayes were seen as a double act. They used to travel to match in person to scout players — this was before the club had the elite scouting network they have now — sharing feedback and making recruitment decisions themselves. As investment progressed and Clearlake took ownership in 2022, things at the club changed. The duo had less control and though responsibilities were now shared — with little negative effect — and Hayes began considering her options before opting to leave in the summer of 2024 with a fifth consecutive league title under her belt.

Sources told ESPN that they were surprised that Green stayed with the club past Hayes’ tenure, though officials admitted his stay was more important, especially when bringing in a new coaching cohort. There was just a week between Chelsea offering Bompastor, who replaced Hayes in the dugout, her first contract and Green’s departure.

Sunday’s game ended in a 2-0 win over Liverpool, but that does not mean the transition will be seamless. The fans’ planned protests and chants widened the disconnect between supporters and ownership that has been growing since the team’s first loss under Bompastor in December. One former Chelsea player said the club was “unrecognisable” compared to how it looked for the past decade.

Bompastor confirmed that Chelsea will not directly replace Green. However, the final stretch of the season will not be the biggest post-Green worry: The real test will come in the summer. Several big players — Bright, Kerr, and Guro Reiten included — are out of contract, and the summer transfer window will prove crucial in molding the club’s new era. With their longtime guiding hand gone, will Chelsea remain ahead of the curve, or will they fall behind?

“Being able to come here, focus on the game, putting the performance and getting the result we had just proved a lot of character,” Bompastor added. “I’m really proud of my players and all members of staff from able to achieve today.”

Sunday’s result was a positive step, but the club’s future is still unknown.