When Paul Green left Chelsea after 13 years, he had achieved so much success that the majority of his medals were hidden away in a box under the bed. It was only when he had gone that he truly began to appreciate what he had done. The former Chelsea head of women's football formed a formidable partnership with ex-manager Emma Hayes and helped lead the Blues to 19 major trophies.
He left suddenly in February amid reports of unrest in Chelsea's hierarchy. Asked about his exit, Green told BBC Sport: "Look, football clubs move on and a lot of people have changed at that club in recent years. "I think ultimately they chose to go in a different direction but I feel very proud of the job that I did there and I left the club in a lot better position than when I first went in there." Under Green's leadership, Chelsea won six successive Women's Super League titles, the last coming under current manager Sonia Bompastor in 2025.
They became the most dominant force in the WSL and reached the Women's Champions League final in 2021. "It was an incredible time. There was a lot of potential that Emma Hayes sold to me and that came to fruition," said Green.
"What the [players] went on to achieve, in my eyes, will never be beaten and it will be difficult for any team to replicate that type of dominance. "It was some of the best times of my life. It's probably not until you're out of it that you actually appreciate what the success was.
"I had so many medals that were just chucked under the bed in a box. I've had time to get them framed. Now I've got a new chapter here at Bay FC." Find interviews and extra content on the BBC Women's Football Weekly feed Are the European Women's World Cup play-offs working?
Women's billion-dollar boom leaves players behind, says Fifpro Green had seven months out of football before he was appointed as chief football officer of San Francisco club Bay FC in September. He admitted the response to his Chelsea exit had been "overwhelming" and he needed time to adapt, spending time with his family in the meantime. "It was people just in the general women's football world who really appreciated the work and success that we had there," said Green.
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