Lola Ogunbote has been appointed Head of Football Operations and Player Services at Chelsea Women. The move sees her join from Burnley, where she left her role as their first-ever Head of Women's Football at the end of June.
Ogunbote brings a unique background to the role. Born in Nigeria and raised in East London, she trained as a UK-qualified lawyer and worked at Goldman Sachs before entering football through Arsenal's Gap Year programme in 2016. She has since gained wide experience in coaching, player development and football operations across different countries and serves as an executive director for the US-based leadership initiative Goals for Girls.
Impact at Burnley and early Chelsea work
Ogunbote spent a number of years at Burnley, building their women's football structure from the ground up. Her responsibilities there spanned recruitment, player development, and wider football operations, culminating in the club's promotion last season after winning the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division title. Her work at Burnley was noted for its comprehensive approach to establishing a professional environment for the women's team.
Ogunbote has already been working behind the scenes at Chelsea earlier this summer. Her initial responsibilities included helping to deliver the club's pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand and overseeing matchday operations for both Women's Super League and UEFA Women’s Champions League fixtures. This early integration allowed her to understand the club's processes ahead of the formal season start.
Role in Chelsea’s matchday logistics
A key part of her early work has been managing the operational switch of home venues. This season, Chelsea Women have staged their WSL home fixtures at Stamford Bridge while playing Champions League games at AFC Wimbledon's Plough Lane, with Ogunbote overseeing the complex logistics of coordinating two different matchday setups, including staffing, security, and fan experience elements.
Her appointment adds to the growing Nigerian presence in the WSL and follows her recognition on the 2024 Football Black List in the administration category. Ogunbote's work with Goals for Girls also brought a leadership and football programme to a group of female students in Surulere, Lagos, in February, an initiative focused on using sport to develop life skills and confidence.
Chelsea Women, currently second in the WSL with 13 points from five games, will look to Ogunbote's operational expertise as they aim to close a two-point gap to leaders Manchester City. The team is unbeaten in the league this season, with a recent 3-0 win over West Ham. The team's next fixture is a Women's Super League match against Tottenham Hotspur, scheduled for a 14:00 GMT kick-off on Sunday. In that recent victory over West Ham, Chelsea's goals were scored in the 18th, and 79th minute of the match. The full squad list for that encounter is also available.
More detail at tvcnews.tv
