Marina Granovskaia has become the most powerful woman in world football. The lady in Blue whom the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich relies upon to get things done at the club.
Lampard met Abramovich on his yacht before appointing him as the manager. But it was Granovskaia who realized the importance of Lampard to the Chelsea fans, as well as his potential man-management ability.
She thought it as the best deal to complete the Chelsea legend’s fairytale return to Stamford Bridge.
Key Figure for Chelsea
Granovskaia acts as the owner’s eyes and ears around Chelsea. If the owner is concerned about form or other issues, he seeks advice from her. She is also the mediator of the dressing room.
He keeps Maria at arm’s length most of the time, and that is why he puts so much faith in her to pass on his messages to the squad.
The sporting director is also best at handling transfer decisions looking at the benefits of the club.
From Kevin De Bruyne to Mohamed Salah, getting pitiful amounts for players that went on to become superstars Abramovich handed over the responsibility to Maria.
Since then, a quick glance at the ins and outs at Stamford Bridge from recent seasons shows the incredible business Chelsea have been able to pull off. Granovskaia has been at the center of it all.
Hakim Ziyech ✅
Timo Werner ✅
Ben Chilwell ✅
Thiago Silva ✅
Malang Sarr ✅
Kai Havertz ✅Marina Granovskaia—Chelsea’s Player of the Year 😏 pic.twitter.com/qSgHxvl9KY
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 4, 2020
She has become the most successful and fearless negotiator in the business on a personal level. Her development in personal level has reaped rewards for the Blues.
Transfer Mastermind
Insiders describe how Granovskaia as the fearless lady who takes no prisoners when it comes to negotiations, be it transfer deals or new club contracts.
She has been at the center of many big signings, but no agent or player has got the better of her. Maria always works hard to strike the best deals in Chelsea’s favor.
The lady in Blue negotiated Eden Hazard’s transfer policy to Real Madrid so impressively that she was hailed by the Stamford Bridge faithful.
The LaLiga giants ended up paying £88.5m plus up to £41.5m in add-ons for a 28-year-old who had just one year left on his contract. The price is expected to rise up to 160 million euros too.
Privacy Over Publicity
Marina Granovskaia opts for privacy over publicity, just like Abramovich.
Throughout Abramovich’s entire Chelsea reign, Granovskaia has always been a key part of his inner circle.
Although Maria didn’t have a football background, Abramovich trusted her to tell him the truth and backed her judgment initially.
This helped the Club in the long run. It was a crucial decision by the owner and it didn’t fail.
It was Maria who persuaded the owner not to ditch Didier Drogba after he blew a gasket during the 2009 Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona. Two years later, they pulled off a record fee of £50m for the star, Fernando Torres from Liverpool.
She went on to hire Jose Mourinho again after six years. Mourinho’s bitter relationship with the club hierarchy was sweetened to bring him again for a second spell in the club.
Chelsea went on to become successful under ‘The Special One’. Maria’s effort went unnoticed by the public but not within the club.
Absent-Minded President
Maria Granovskaia has reached a place in the club’s elite. She is a member of both the Chelsea FC plc and football club boards, with special responsibility for transfers, contracts, loans, and the academy.
Her appointment brought a change in club strategy, a marked one from the early days of Abramovich’s reign when Chelsea was viewed by their rivals as something of an easy touch.
Surprisingly accurate.
"Meet Marina Granovskaia, the most powerful woman in football who runs Chelsea for absent owner Abramovich and brokered Lampard deal for the club" https://t.co/P6JQ9Wtqb6— Gregory Ioannidis (@LawTop20) September 3, 2020
Abramovich has been an absentee landlord and even more so since the departure of sporting director Michael Emenalo in 2017.
Abramovich might be handling the money matters, but Granovskaia is certainly the business brains of the club. She is the power and the glory of Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea has found the ideal ingredients for chapter two of the Roman Abramovich’s dynasty with Maria Granovskaia leading the business, Frank Lampard leading the team, and Petr Cech as the bridge between the two.
