Paul Green Reflects on Chelsea Success and New Chapter at Bay FC

Paul Green, who spent 13 years at Chelsea and was instrumental in the club's considerable success in women's football, has spoken about his departure and his new role as chief football officer at San Francisco club Bay FC. Green's tenure at Chelsea coincided with a period of unprecedented dominance, during which the team secured 19 major trophies, including six successive Women's Super League titles.

Green described his exit in February as a decision by the club to "go in a different direction," but expressed pride in his contributions. "I think ultimately they chose to go in a different direction but I feel very proud of the job that I did there and I left the club in a lot better position than when I first went in there," he told BBC Sport. He noted that the extent of his achievements only became apparent after he left, with many of his medals stored away.

Under his leadership, Chelsea became a dominant force in the Women's Super League and reached the Women's Champions League final in 2021. Green credited his partnership with former manager Emma Hayes for much of this success. "What the [players] went on to achieve, in my eyes, will never be beaten and it will be difficult for any team to replicate that type of dominance," Green said. He added that he is now taking time to frame the medals he had previously stored under his bed, a testament to the success he achieved.

After a seven-month break from football, Green joined Bay FC in September. He found the response to his Chelsea exit "overwhelming," with many in the women's football world reaching out to acknowledge his work. He admitted that the initial period without the structure of his previous role was challenging but is now focused on building something "really special" at Bay FC, a project he sees as having similarities to the early days at Chelsea.

Green hopes to leverage his extensive experience in the transfer market to bring top players to Bay FC and improve the team's current standing. Bay FC are third from bottom in the National Women's Soccer League with three matches remaining in the 2026 season. "The team hasn't done as well as everybody would like it to do. We are where we are in the league so we need to try and improve the roster immediately," Green stated, expressing confidence in his ability to attract players to enhance the existing talent.

He also addressed the development of young English players, highlighting Chelsea's past loan programs as a successful method. Green suggested that if clubs lack resources for player development, young players might need to consider playing abroad. He also mentioned the controversial proposal of "B teams," similar to structures in Germany and Spain, which could help integrate young players into the senior pyramid, potentially at level three.

The issue of gametime for homegrown players has raised concerns, with FA director of women's football Sue Day and England manager Sarina Wiegman acknowledging the need for more playing opportunities for young talent. Day emphasized the importance of collaboration between the FA, clubs, and the league to foster player development and create value from investment.