Chelsea’s President of Business Tom Glick Departs Amid Ownership Changes

Chelsea Football Club is poised for another shakeup as Tom Glick, the club’s president of business, is expected to depart after a mere 10 months in the role. The owners of the club, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, are planning significant changes on the business front following a challenging first year of their tenure. Meanwhile, Chelsea is on the verge of appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach and Chris Jurasek as their new chief executive.

It is anticipated that Jurasek’s arrival will coincide with Glick’s departure from Stamford Bridge. Although Chelsea has not officially commented on Glick’s resignation, a source close to the matter denied that the former Manchester City executive was forced out of the club.

Earlier this month, The Guardian revealed that Chelsea enlisted the services of an external law firm to investigate Glick’s conduct. The inquiry aimed to determine whether Glick had acted appropriately when he dismissed a female agent’s complaints about the behavior of a club executive, deeming them irrelevant to his job. Catalina Kim had alerted Glick to historical messages of a sexual nature she had received from Damian Willoughby, who was subsequently dismissed as Chelsea’s commercial director in September last year.

The incident was taken seriously by the club’s hierarchy, and they provided Kim with safeguarding support. The law firm conducting the investigation reportedly interviewed both Glick and Kim this year. While Chelsea has chosen not to comment on the contents of the report, it has been shared with the club, and a summary has been provided to Kim.

Glick did reach out to Kim on September 19th, acknowledging that Chelsea was investigating Willoughby’s messages. He also sent an email expressing gratitude to Kim for bringing the matter to his attention.

Glick joined Chelsea in July of the previous year with the responsibility of strengthening the club’s commercial operations. Prior to his stint at Chelsea, the American executive had worked at Derby County and served as president of the NFL team, the Carolina Panthers.

However, Glick’s tenure appears to be coming to an abrupt end, as Jurasek assumes control of Chelsea’s commercial activities. This latest development adds to the ongoing changes at the club, which has faced significant struggles since Boehly and Clearlake acquired ownership last summer.

Despite spending nearly £600 million on new signings, Chelsea is on track to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League this season. The club, which has already had four different managers during the campaign, will conclude their season with an away fixture against Manchester United on Thursday, followed by a home match against Newcastle on Sunday.