New accounts published by Chelsea show a payment of £50m to former directors

Chelsea’s accounts have revealed a payment of £49.75million to former club directors for ‘services related to the club’s sale.’

Marina Granovskaia, who had acted as a club director and chief assistant during Roman Abramovich’s time as owner, received £35m as the highest paid director.

The remaining £14m appears to have been split between the club’s long-standing former chairman Bruce Buck and others.

Todd Boehly’s consortium took over the club last June, and they appear to have paid the departing staff handsomely for the transition with wages up by £15m compared to the previous year. 

It came as the Blues recorded an operating loss of £235m for the 2021/22 season, with their total losses now eclipsing £1 billion, the first Premier League side to reach the figure.

New accounts released by Chelsea have revealed a £35million payment made to departing director Marina Granovskaia

The club has now become the first to record losses of over £1 billion after an operating loss of £235 last season

Last season’s costs included £77m for the ‘impairment of player registrations’, and another £18m spent in legal fees.

Boehly’s spending since taking over the club has been notorious, and the newly released accounts confirm £368m was spent on 18 new players and ‘restructuring first team management’ during the summer transfer window.

Chelsea also lost 16 players for a combined £22m.

Despite big spending in West London, the Blues have struggled this season and sit 11th in the Premier League table with eight games to play.

They are still fighting in the Champions League, but face a tough quarter final against Real Madrid on Wednesday night. 

Frank Lampard, who led the club for the first game of his second spell in their 1-0 loss to Wolves on Saturday seemed confident about his side’s European’s chances in Europe.

The accounts also confirmed Todd Boehly’s £600 million splurge on new players last summer

Frank Lampard insisted his side would improve after their 1-0 loss to Wolves on Saturday

He said: ‘If you are worried don’t come. The players shouldn’t be. I’m not saying the squad doesn’t have that aggression, it’s just bringing it together. Wednesday will be a completely different game.

‘I’m very happy to be back. We have a huge game waiting for us on Wednesday where everything changes.

‘It’s a big task managing Chelsea, we know we’re not in a position we want to be in. There’s always a reason for it.

‘I didn’t expect to solve everything in one day. You have to have more aggression in your game, more speed and more competitive duels which go your way.’