A profile by French outlet L’Equipe has painted Marina Granovskaia as an uncompromising negotiator
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia has earned a reputation as being one of football’s sternest negotiators and someone who is unafraid of clashing with some of the sport’s most powerful figures, according to a profile of the Russian-Canadian executive by French outlet L’Equipe.
The lengthy portrait of Chelsea’s managing director paints the 47-year-old Granovskaia as Roman Abramovich’s chief lieutenant, someone who relentlessly pursues the signatures of some of world football’s most sought-after stars and often clashing with some of the game’s so-called super-agents like Mino Raiola.
Raiola, who counts the likes of Erling Haaland and Paul Pogba among his star-studded list of clients, is said in the profile to have engaged in tense transfer battles with Granovskaia on numerous occasions.
L’Equipe also say that Granovskaia is constantly working on behalf of both Abramovich and Chelsea, with other unnamed agents saying that she contacts them at “impossible times” using the messaging service WhatsApp.
Granovskaia, who joined up with Abramovich at Chelsea in 2013, was initially presumed to have been someone who would have been a soft touch in the transfer market, the piece says, but her savvy negotiation skills soon became apparent when she duelled with a host of Europe’s elite clubs to sign some of Chelsea’s biggest names – more often than not at very competitive prices.
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Her role at Chelsea has also expanded in recent years after visa difficulties forced Roman Abramovich to stay away from London and take a more hands-off role in club operations.