Emenalo: I was under pressure to close down Chelsea’s Academy 

Former Nigeria international, Micheal Emenalo has revealed the pressure he faced to keep the club’s academy while he was the technical director.

“I defended the academy when there was pressure and doubt and pessimism,” Emenalo said in an interview with Telegragh.co.uk.

“There was a time when there was a clamour to do more and a manager came in to make a presentation to say the academy was not necessary. The argument was it takes too long, we don’t have time, we should use it to make some money here and there, and that the owner should stop pumping money into it because it seemed like a waste.

“But that wasn’t my idea and I had to fight against it. This is where I am very, very proud of the owner Roman Abramovich because of the trust he had in me and the willingness to listen to me and give the academy time. He would not abandon it. He believed in it and in me, and I can’t thank him enough for that.”

Read Also:Tomori : Nigeria is big, but I couldn’t turn down England  

The trio of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori who are in the England squad are graduates of the academy.