Marina Granovskaia and Bruce Buck's exits from Chelsea have come as a surprise to many as the duo both hoped to stay in their respective roles until the end of the summer.
The Blues confirmed that Buck will step down from his role as chairman on June 30, with new owner Todd Boehly taking his place, and Granovskaia's exit from the club was later confirmed on Wednesday morning.
Buck will remain at the club as a 'senior advisor' going forward, while Granovskaia will make herself available to Chelsea for the remainder of the summer window, although Boehly has taken the position of interim sporting director as the search for a full-time replacement begins.
According to the Daily Mail, Buck had expressed a desire to remain as chairman, while Granovskaia had offered to formalise her departure in the summer, but the decisions have been made to cut ties with both almost immediately.
The duo had agreed a £50m payment package with Boehly for their work on the sale but a significant portion of that was tied to their continuation at the club beyond this summer, meaning neither will pocket their full amount.
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The decision to offload both Buck and Granovskaia so soon came as a surprise to many, with Chelsea embarking on a hugely important summer transfer window - the first under Boehly's ownership.
It now appears as though Boehly will lead the majority of Chelsea's transfer business this summer. The owner was in charge of the talks to send Romelu Lukaku back to Inter, showing his support for manager Thomas Tuchel by offloading the club's record signing just 12 months after he joined.
A new chief executive and sporting director are both expected to be hired in the near future, while a final decision will have to be made on technical and performance advisor Petr Cech, who was hired by Granovskaia.
Source : 90min