A former senior figure at Chelsea has accused the club
of "inertia" and "betrayal of trust" in a bid to claim a six-figure
compensation sum at an employment tribunal. Paul Smith, ex Group
Business Affairs Director of Chelsea, told the hearing Peter Kenyon
repeatedly refused to settle the terms of his employment at the
club. He said he was initially offered a salary of £350,000 for six
months, and the possibility of a 100 per cent bonus and a six
figure golden bonus after 10 years were mentioned.
Mr Smith has a 25-year career in the football industry including
staging the World Cup and UEFA matches. He had known Mr Kenyon
since 1992 when their paths crossed professionally, and their
relationship eventually led to a job at Chelsea in September 2003.
The club had just been bought by Roman Abramovich and Mr Smith was
"parachuted in" to cover as chief executive before Mr Kenyon began
work.
No written contract was drafted. Mr Smith said: "I was left to
my own devices... Mr Abramovich merely told me not to screw up." He
was working 15-16 hour days, six days a week, and was eventually
given an employment contract at the end of October. This offered a
salary of £300,000 and a 50 per cent bonus, so Mr Smith did not
sign but awaited negotiations with Mr Kenyon.
Commenting on his work at that stage he said: "Mr Abramovich had
sufficient confidence in me that I was entrusted with dealing on
his behalf in the area closest to his heart, player transfers."
Negotiations over his salary continued, and at one point he was
offered £500,000 and a bonus of £250,000, but this was later
withdrawn.
Mr Smith said: "I was faced with an attitude reminiscent to one
which confronted the pied piper: duties dispatched but respect and
promises quickly forgotten." He added: "From the beginning there
was inertia and betrayal of trust by Mr Kenyon."
The former club executive said Mr Kenyon claimed he had been
"neutered" by Roman Abramovich in terms of salary negotiations. Mr
Smith added: "Trying to focus Mr Kenyon on a solution became
virtually impossible. It was like trying to nail jelly to a
wall."
He is claiming a sum of £366,000 at the tribunal but claimed
today that in terms of salary, bonus and unpaid benefits, the club
owes him £950,000. Mr Smith will take action at the High Court to
claim the rest of the money.
Throughout his time at Chelsea, Mr Smith negotiated key deals
including Samsung sponsorship worth £55million and football camps
to be run with Disney. He said he was told of his dismissal in a
"cold and robotic" way by Mr Kenyon, who had disliked his comments
appearing in newspapers. He also accused Mr Kenyon of deliberately
refusing to pay him and dismissing him to conceal this.
He said: "By removing me, the facts would never surface to
become a blemish on his managerial record. "If I had remained at
CFC, Mr Kenyon would have had the embarrassment of having to
explain away the history of the 'failed' contract negotiations and
accumulative personal debt. With me gone, he could keep this sorry
episode quiet for limited expense."