Paul Green says Chelsea medals stayed under his bed after 13-year spell

Former Chelsea women’s football chief Paul Green says he only began to appreciate the club’s success after leaving, revealing that he had kept many of his medals in a box under his bed.

Green spent 13 years at Chelsea, working alongside former manager Emma Hayes as the team won 19 major trophies. He left in February amid reports of unrest in the club’s hierarchy. [1]

“I think ultimately they chose to go in a different direction,” Green told BBC Sport. “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.”

Chelsea won six consecutive Women’s Super League titles during his time at the club, with the last secured under current manager Sonia Bompastor in 2025. They also reached the Women’s Champions League final in 2021. Green said the team’s achievements would be difficult for another side to replicate.

After seven months out of football, Green was appointed chief football officer at San Francisco club Bay FC in September. He said the response to his Chelsea departure had been “overwhelming” and that he spent time with his family before taking up the new role.

Bay FC are third bottom in the National Women’s Soccer League with three matches left in the 2026 season. Green said the club needed to improve its squad and that he hoped to use his contacts to bring in players. The club is also due to move into new training facilities next year. [1]

Green also called for more opportunities for young English players, suggesting clubs could use loan arrangements or, where resources are limited, send players abroad. He said a “B team” playing in the lower tiers of the English pyramid could help develop talent, while acknowledging the idea was controversial.

The Football Association’s director of women’s football, Sue Day, said too few young players were getting enough match time, but said she did not want to impose a regulatory solution. [1]