Paul Green on Leaving Chelsea, Finding Bay FC, and Fixing the Homegrown Gap

Paul Green Chelsea Bay FC is the phrase that now links two very different chapters in one executive’s career. After 13 years as Chelsea’s head of women’s football, Green left in February 2026. By September, he had been named chief football officer at Bay FC, the San Francisco club owned by the multi-club group Bay Collective.

A trophy cabinet that lived under the bed

Green’s Chelsea years produced 19 major trophies. Six of them were consecutive Women’s Super League titles, a run that spanned the partnership with former manager Emma Hayes and continued into the 2025 title under Sonia Bompastor. Chelsea also reached the 2021 Women’s Champions League final during Green’s tenure.

The medals themselves did not get much display treatment. Green has said many were kept in a box under his bed. He has since had them framed.

Looking back, Green described the success as exceeding expectations and said he left the club in a better position than he found it. The decision to leave came, in his account, because Chelsea chose a different direction. Reports at the time pointed to unrest in the hierarchy, though the full reasons have not been publicly detailed.

Seven months without football

Green spent seven months out of the game after his exit. He said the response to his departure was overwhelming, and that he needed time before answering messages. The break also gave him space to appreciate what had been achieved, and time with his family. He found the absence of a daily structure difficult at first.

Bay FC sold him on their vision. Green sees similarities between the project and the early days of Chelsea, and he is confident in his network after two decades in football to help with recruitment. Infrastructure off the pitch is part of what he is working on.

Bay FC’s short-term priorities

The club sits third bottom of the NWSL 2026 season with three matches remaining. Green aims to improve the roster in the transfer window, and Bay FC will move into new training facilities next year. Kay Cossington leads the project at Bay FC.

Why homegrown players need a pathway

At Chelsea, Green oversaw the development of players including Aggie Beever-Jones and Lexi Potter. Beever-Jones was part of England’s Euro 2025 winning squad, and Potter made her England debut in a 5-0 win over Greece.

Green believes a good loan programme helped develop players at Chelsea, and he suggests young players may also need to go abroad. He proposes a ‘B team’ at level three of the pyramid as another route to senior minutes.

The concern is shared. Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football, said not enough young players are playing enough football, and that regulation is not the preferred approach. England manager Sarina Wiegman has also expressed concern about young players’ gametime. For Green, the answers lie in structured opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear.