Blues chief exec Kenyon to leave role next month
CHELSEA chief executive Peter Kenyon will leave his full-time role at the end of October, after six years at the forefront of the most successful spell in the club’s history.
The Blues said yesterday that Kenyon, 55, would retain a role as non-executive director and continue to represent the Premier League leaders on European committees.
But the announcement will increase speculation that Kenyon, who was recruited from Manchester United in 2003, is on the way out of Stamford Bridge – an impression his comments did little to contradict.
“I have been in football for 15 years and I can say with great certainty and pleasure the experience at Chelsea is one of the best I have had,” he said. “I intend to take a little time off before considering what I do next but I am certain I have at least one major challenge left in me.”
Rumours of Kenyon’s exit have grown since the summer, when he was linked with a role at Manchester City, and Chelsea handed greater power to sporting director Frank Arnesen.
Since being hired by Roman Abramovich after the Russian’s takeover, Kenyon helped establish the club as one of Europe’s super-powers, winning two league titles and reaching five Champions League semi-finals, as well as negotiating lucrative commercial contracts with Adidas and Samsung.
However his profile had become lower in recent months, amid rumours that his influence was on the wane following the ill-fated appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager and the failure to sign Robinho, who instead joined City.