CHELSEA APPOINT SEYI OLOFINJANA IN TALENT MANAGEMENT ROLE COVERING AFRICA
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Chelsea have appointed former Nigeria international Seyi Olofinjana into a talent management role covering Africa.
44-year-old Olofinjana — capped 56 times by his country — played 147 matches and scored 18 goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers between 2004 and 2008 in addition to spells at then fellow Championship sides Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday. The former midfielder also played in the Premier League with Stoke City and Hull City.
After retiring in 2014 after a short stint in Norway, Olofinjana worked in under-23 coaching and development at Wolves including a role as loans and pathways manager. He then spent a year as Sporting Director at Grasshoppers Zurich in Switzerland until 2022. The former midfielder holds a UEFA pro coaching license.
The remit of the new role at Chelsea will cover recruitment recommendations across the region, working in conjunction with a newly-appointed scout that will cover Africa. Olofinjana started his career in Nigeria with Crown FC and Kwara United before making the transition to Norwegian club SK Brann in 2003. He moved to England with Wolves a year later.
Due to his experience and expertise, his role will aim to build on Chelsea’s connections in Africa and streamline the pathway for players to the London club and BlueCo’s sister operation Strasbourg in France. Olofinjana will also work with players once arrived at their destination to improve their experience and aid the settling in process and adaptation.
Olofinjana — who has chemical engineering and sports directorship degrees — is also the executive director of Nigerian third division side Imperial FC which is located near his home city of Lagos, where he has overseen the development of an academy set-up and the procurement of talent in the country including Taiwo Awoniyi, who was transferred to Liverpool in 2015, and is now at Nottingham Forest
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Over the last two decades many African players — including Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Mikel Jon Obi — have had huge success at Chelsea but have largely been recruited from other clubs having already made their transition to Europe. The roll out of a dedicated operation in the region reflects a desire to procure talent earlier in their journeys.
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