CHELSEA CHIEF LEAVES THE CLUB AFTER JUST 15 MONTHS FOLLOWING HECTIC TRANSFER WINDOW IN WHICH BLUES SPENT MORE THAN £200M - AS FANS WELCOME EXIT OF UNPOPULAR FIGURE THEY CALLED 'TONE DEAF'

Chris Jurasek has been replaced in role by chief operating officer Jason Gannon
He removed travel subsidies at the club in move which saved just £250,000
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Chelsea chief executive Chris Jurasek has left the club after just 15 months following a chaotic transfer window which saw the Stamford Bridge side shell out £200million on 11 players.

The American venture capitalist has handled the business side of things under owner Todd Boehly since May 2023.

Jurasek moved directly from Clearlake Capital, which is the private equity group that part-owns Chelsea alongside Boehly, and returns to the firm following his exit.

The experienced businessman had a strained relationship with supporters after removing travel subsidies in a move which saved the club a mere £250,000.

And now he has departed the side after a short stint as an executive, with existing chief operating officer Jason Gannon replacing him and also taking the role of president at the Blues, the BBC reports.

Jurasek reflected on his spell at the club positively, claiming that he had 'accomplished the task of building a team both on and off the pitch' and that Chelsea are now 'well positioned for long-term success'.

His successor Gannon arrived at Stamford Bridge in October and now takes over in a shake-up described by the club as 'planned', with Jurasek heading back to Clearlake.

Gannon said: 'I am honoured to assume this elevated position within a club so rich in history and well-renowned across the globe.

'I have developed relationships with many supporters over the past year since joining Chelsea, and it is an enormous privilege to be here.'

Despite being respected within the club hierarchy, fans have welcomed Jurasek's exit with some branding the unpopular figure 'tone deaf'.

In a statement today, Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) said: 'The CST first met Mr Jurasek in August 2023 ahead of the League Cup tie vs AFC Wimbledon.

'During the feisty meeting, he hoped that the team performed well that night and secured three points… this set the manner for his tone deaf tenure as CEO in which he made no effort to build a relationship with any supporter group.'

The group has, however, welcomed the promotion of Gannon which is one of a number of changes made in the latest reshuffle at Stamford Bridge.

The club's new management committee will be made up of Todd Kline, who is arriving from Tottenham, and Phil Lynch, formerly of Man United, as well as current chief of staff Casper Stylsvig and head of business James Murray.

Chelsea were very active in the transfer window this summer, spending £200m on new signings including the acquisition of Pedro Neto from Wolves for £60m and Joao Felix arrive from Atletico Madrid for £44m.

There has also been an attempt at a clear-out at Stamford Bridge with a bomb squad formed, consisting of 15 first-team players at its peak. Conor Gallagher, Romelu Lukaku and Raheem Sterling all went out the door in a hectic window for the Blues.

2024-09-05T16:32:57Z dg43tfdfdgfd