Chelsea duo to miss out on millions

BRUCE Buck and Marina Granovskaia are set to lose out on millions in bonus payments following their departures from Chelsea.

A significant part of the £50million package agreed with new owner Todd Boehly for their work on the sale was tied to them continuing at Stamford Bridge after the takeover, and will therefore not be paid in full.

Buck and Granovskaia will still receive millions in transaction fees from the new ownership, but the speed of their departures from the club this week has taken many by surprise.

During the sale process, Buck made it clear he wanted to remain chairman, while Granovskaia offered to stay in her role running the football side of the business until the end of the transfer window in August.

Boehly has taken a very hands- on role since the £4.25billion purchase earlier this month. He has even been directly involved in transfer negotiations, and is expected to be named as chairman of a new Chelsea board in the next few days.

New owners Boehly and Clearlake Capital appear determined to draw a line under the Roman Abramovich regime, with the three most senior personnel — Buck, Granovskaia and chief executive Guy Laurence — leaving. Buck’s departure was confirmed last Monday, with Granovskaia’s expected in the next few days.

Chelsea’s next move is to appoint a new chief executive and sporting director, although Petr Cech could stay on in his role as technical and performance adviser despite his close links to Granovskaia.

Chelsea declined to comment.