Nigerian-Born LOLA OGUNBOTE appointed Head of Football Operations & Player Services at Chelsea Women.

Thursday, October 8, 2026 -Nigerian-born football administrator Lola Ogunbote has joined Chelsea Women as the club's new Head of Football Operations and Player Services, another big step in her football management career.

She moved to the London club after almost five years at Burnley Women, where she helped build the women's football setup.

She had already started working behind the scenes at Chelsea earlier this summer.

Her duties included the team's pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand, and handling the logistics of the team's move between venues for Women's Super League and UEFA Women's Champions League games.

Chelsea use Stamford Bridge for WSL home matches and AFC Wimbledon for Champions League games.

Ogunbote joined Burnley in 2021 as the club's first ever Head of Women's Football.

She worked on recruitment, player development, performance structures and the running of the women's programme.

She left on a high, as Burnley Women won the FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division title and earned promotion last season.

Burnley confirmed on June 23 that she would leave at the end of that month.

Chelsea are looking to get back to the top of the women's game after finishing third in the WSL last season, behind Manchester City and Arsenal.

Ogunbote was born in Nigeria but raised in East London after moving to Britain as a baby.

Outside her club work, she has kept helping girls get opportunities through football, especially in Africa.

She is an executive director of the US-based Goals for Girls, which uses football to promote leadership among girls.

In February 2026, she helped bring its leadership and football programme to Surulere, Lagos.

The two-day event brought together 300 female students from 10 schools and mixed football training with leadership lessons.

She was named on the 2024 Football Black List in the administration category, alongside figures like Paul Elliott, Mark Esiri and Fleur Robinson.

Her appointment adds another Nigerian link to the Women's Super League, which already includes Super Falcons goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor at Crystal Palace and Rofiat Imuran at Aston Villa.