Laurence Stewart, Chelsea's co-sporting director, is departing the club by mutual agreement. This move is part of what insiders describe as a natural evolution of the football leadership team. Stewart joined Chelsea in 2022 as a technical director and was later made co-sporting director alongside Paul Winstanley.
Following Stewart's exit, Winstanley will work closely with Sam Jewell and Joe Shields on a day-to-day basis. Dave Fallows remains part of Chelsea's football leadership team but in an advisory and consultancy role. The day-to-day football leadership team will now consist of Winstanley, Jewell, and Shields, who work closely with manager Xabi Alonso and the club's data and analytics department.
The trio reports to co-owners Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, and there are no plans to appoint a like-for-like replacement for Stewart. Sources emphasize that there has been no falling out between the sporting directors and that Stewart's exit is a mutual decision. Eghbali mentioned in April the need to "tweak a model," which has been reflected in Alonso's title change to manager and the departure of Stewart.
The streamlining of the football leadership team highlights the increased status of Jewell and Shields, whose primary responsibilities focus on recruitment, player identification, and squad building. Jewell works globally across Chelsea's multi-club model with Strasbourg, while Shields oversees academy and player pathways. Jewell and Shields will continue to work closely with Winstanley, who handles transfer targets, player sales, and contract renewals.
As previously reported, Tottenham Hotspur made checks on the possibility of appointing Winstanley last season, but he had no interest in leaving Chelsea. Stewart's departure marks the first big change within Chelsea's football structure since Clearlake Capital took full control. He was rewarded with a new contract to 2031 after Chelsea won the Club World Cup in 2025 but is leaving five years before that deal expires.
Stewart is not thought to be moving straight into another job and will be welcome to attend matches at Stamford Bridge. Having joined from Monaco almost four years ago, Stewart's primary role centered on budget planning, style of play, and football philosophy. He is popular and well-respected inside and outside the club.
The three-man day-to-day team of Winstanley, Jewell, and Shields will now work closer with Chelsea's data team, absorbing the rest of Stewart's work within the existing structure. Before joining Chelsea, Stewart worked as a technical director at Monaco, global head of scouting at Red Bull Soccer International, and head of performance analysis at Manchester City.
Key points
- Chelsea's co-sporting director Laurence Stewart is leaving the club by mutual consent.
- The departure is part of a natural evolution of the football leadership team.
- There are no plans to appoint a like-for-like replacement for Stewart.
