Paul Green spent 13 years building one of the most successful eras in English women's football history at Chelsea, yet admits he only truly grasped the scale of that achievement once he had departed the club. The former head of women's football helped guide Chelsea to 19 major trophies alongside ex-manager Emma Hayes, a partnership that transformed the Blues into the dominant force of the Women's Super League.

Green left Chelsea abruptly in February following reports of internal upheaval at the club. Speaking to BBC Sport, he offered a measured response to his exit. "Look, football clubs move on and a lot of people have changed at that club in recent years," Green said. "I think ultimately they chose to go in a different direction but I feel very proud of the job that I did there and I left the club in a lot better position than when I first went in there."

During his tenure, Chelsea claimed six consecutive WSL titles, with the most recent triumph arriving under current boss Sonia Bompastor in 2025. The club also reached the Women's Champions League final in 2021, cementing their status as English football's premier women's side. Reflecting on that period, Green credited the vision Hayes brought to the project. "It was an incredible time. There was a lot of potential that Emma Hayes sold to me and that came to fruition," he said. "What the [players] went on to achieve, in my eyes, will never be beaten and it will be difficult for any team to replicate that type of dominance. It was some of the best times of my life. It's probably not until you're out of it that you actually appreciate what the success was."

Green revealed that many of his medals from that trophy-laden spell had simply been stored under his bed, only recently being framed now that he has had time to reflect. "I had so many medals that were just chucked under the bed in a box. I've had time to get them framed. Now I've got a new chapter here at Bay FC," he said.

After seven months away from football, Green was named chief football officer of San Francisco-based Bay FC in September. He described the outpouring of support following his Chelsea departure as "overwhelming," noting that the adjustment period required patience and family time. "In the early days, having a lack of structure was difficult because I had gone from 13 years of having certain routines. That part was difficult," he admitted.

At Bay FC, Green joins a project spearheaded by former FA director Kay Cossington under the Bay Collective multi-club ownership group. He expressed enthusiasm about drawing on his transfer market expertise to help turn around the club's fortunes, with Bay FC currently sitting third from bottom in the National Women's Soccer League with three matches remaining this season. "The team hasn't done as well as everybody would like it to do... we need to try and improve the roster immediately," Green said, adding that his network built over two decades in the game would be key to attracting new talent ahead of new training facilities opening next year.

Green also addressed the broader issue of reduced playing time for homegrown English talent, having overseen the progress of players like Aggie Beever-Jones and Lexi Potter during his Chelsea days. He pointed to loan systems and the possibility of introducing 'B teams' into England's football pyramid, similar to models used in Germany and Spain, as potential solutions—though he acknowledged such proposals remain contentious within the English game.

Based on reporting from BBC Sport.