EPL: Chelsea to appoint Christopher Vivell as new technical director

Chelsea are set to appoint Christopher Vivell as their new technical director, following his departure from RB Leipzig, where he held the same position.

After Marino Granovskaia and Petr Cech left their positions as a result of the American’s £4 billion takeover at Stamford Bridge, Todd Boehly has been looking for a new technical director to add to the Blues hierarchy. Leipzig announced on Friday afternoon that Vivell had left the Bundesliga club due to ‘contrasting views’.

Boehly had attempted to negotiate with former Liverpool director Michael Edwards and Red Bull Salzburg CEO Christoph Freund, but the talks were unsuccessful. The American owner has finally been able to add a key member to the boardroom as he continues to make sweeping changes behind the scenes to align with his long-term vision for the Blues.

The hiring of Vivell is in line with Boehly’s plan to imitate Red Bull’s multi-club model, which could see the American owner invest in numerous clubs around the world, enhancing Chelsea’s reputation internationally and enabling the club to find talented players on various continents. It could also help Chelsea’s pursuit of RB Leipzig duo Christopher Nkunku and Josko Gvardiol, the former of whom has already signed a pre-contractual agreement with the club.

RB Leipzig released a statement on Vivell’s departure on Friday afternoon, which read: “Christopher Vivell was dismissed from his position as technical Director yesterday (Thursday) with immediate effect, due to differences of opinion. The 35-year-old’s duties will be carried out by the current set-up, until Max Eberl takes over as the new Managing Director of Sport.”