Chelsea has named Christopher Vivell as their new technical director as club football returns.
German Vivell, 36, orchestrated the 2019 signing of Erling Haaland while serving as head of scouting and recruitment at RB Salzburg in Austria.
His most recent post involved recruiting for all age groups for German Bundesliga team RB Leipzig.
Petr Cech, a former Blues goalkeeper who left in the summer after three years in the position, is replaced by Vivell.
Vivell would offer support to Chelsea’s coach Graham Potter, according to the club’s chairman Todd Boehly.
“We are delighted that Christopher is taking up this important leadership role at the club,” said Boehly.
“His work in Germany and Austria speaks for itself. We are confident he will continue on his impressive trajectory here at Chelsea.”
“He will provide important support to Graham and the ownership group and play a vital part in advancing our overall vision for the club.”
Chelsea’s transfer goals may benefit from Vivell’s connections to RB Leipzig because the club has been connected with Leipzig’s defender Josko Gvardiol and attacker Christopher Nkunku.
While commenting on his move to Stamford Bridge Vivell said:
“Chelsea are building the most exciting project in global football and I’m extremely proud to be joining the club.”
“There is so much potential for the club to continue to succeed, develop and grow.”
“Under the new ownership, Graham Potter and the broader sporting team, there is a clear and sustainable philosophy underpinned by performance analysis, data and innovation, and I am looking forward to playing a part in that.”
Following the World Cup, Chelsea will return to the Premier League with a home game against Bournemouth on December 27.
Who Is Christopher Vivell and Why Did Chelsea Appoint him?
Christopher Vivell worked first for the RB Leipzig’s junior team as a video analyst before working his way up to a first-team position.
Although he had also worked as a match commentator, his ultimate position at the club was as a scout.
In November 2015, he relocated to Salzburg in Austria, where he served as the head of scouting and collaborated closely with Freund.
Patson Daka, Erling Haaland, and Karim Adeyemi were all players that Salzburg signed during his tenure as head of scouting, and they were all signed for a fraction of what they were ultimately sold for.
Vivell advanced within the Red Bull organization after doing an outstanding job in Salzburg and joined Leipzig in 2020. There, he was in charge of the “strategic direction of squad planning in line with an overarching transfer philosophy.”
During his tenure at the club, the team made some impressive signings, including Josko Gvardiol, Andre Silva, and Angelino, who had been linked to Chelsea.
Additionally, he was in charge of “the establishment and upkeep of the global RB footballing philosophy.”
At Leipzig, Vivell was given a variety of responsibilities, and after making an impression in his role, the German club promoted him.
Boehly appears to have found the right candidate to fill the position of sporting director, and it’s unlikely that Vivell’s hiring would be the last in a reorganization of Chelsea’s hiring team.
