Chelsea academy chiefs leave club as surprise restructuring begins

Chelsea academy directors Neil Bath and Jim Fraser will leave the club this summer as part of a radical overhaul of the Blues’ development system.

Bath has been at Chelsea since 2004, initially as academy director before spending 12 years as head of youth development and being promoted to director of football development and operations in February 2023. Fraser, who had worked under Bath during that time, took on the youth development role when Bath were promoted.

The duo are widely credited with building Chelsea’s academy into one of the most successful in the world, winning countless trophies at youth level and overseeing the development of a large number of players who have gone on to have a significant impact on professional football both at Chelsea and elsewhere.

Numerous sales outlets, including The athletehave confirmed that both Bath and Fraser will leave the club this summer.

This move could have drastic effects on Chelsea’s youth development, but The guard say the departures of the two were mutual, with Bath being the first to suggest the idea of ​​a departure before next season, despite Chelsea’s desire to renegotiate his contract.

Replacing Bath and Fraser in the academy setup will not be easy, but it is expected that recruitment directors Joe Shields and Sam Jewell will be given important roles in Chelsea’s revamped academy.

Adding to the turmoil this summer, Chelsea also lost Under-21 coach Mark Robinson, whose impressive work with the youth team had earned him a job as head coach of Burton Albion’s first team.

Chelsea are expected to replace Robinson with 39-year-old Filipe Coelho, who gained extensive experience in Benfica’s academy before impressing with Estoril’s U23 side last season.