Izuchukwu Okosi
The wave of crisis rocking Ukraine and Russia which inadvertently affected Chelsea Football Club culminating in the announcement by owner Roman Abramovich on his decision to sell the club has claimed its first ‘casualty’ at the club.
The Blues’ director and transfer chief, Marina Granovskaia has sensationally announced her resignation from her position.
Known as “the most powerful woman in football”, Granovskaia announced her resignation on Thursday which would take effect from the day the club is sold.
In a statement she personally signed, the former chief assistant to Abramovich said working working for the West London club was a great opportunity.
“Today I would like to address the speculation in media over my role in Chelsea FC regarding the future.
“I consider myself extremely lucky and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside some of the best people in this business and to witness many of our amazing achievements together with the club and our fans.
“After the sale of Chelsea FC I will not continue my involvement in the club. I would like to thank once again to everyone at Chelsea FC and I wish the fans nothing but the best in the coming future,” she said.
Also expected to resign is Chelsea’s Executive chairman Bruce Buck.
Granovskaia, hailed as the most powerful woman in football, became Abramovich’s representative at the club in 2010 before joining the Chelsea board in 2013.
In 2016 the Russian-Candian was influential in brokering a £60million a year deal with Nike to manufacture Chelsea’s kits until 2032 – a British record.
And in December last year Granovskaia was named as Best Club Director in European football at the Golden Boy awards.
Marina Granovskaia is a Russian-Canadian business executive currently serving as the director of Chelsea F.C. She has also served as chief assistant to Roman Abramovich for over ten years.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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