LONDON, England — Nigerian-born football administrator Lola Ogunbote has joined Chelsea Women as Head of Football Operations and Player Services after leaving Burnley following almost five years at the club.
Ogunbote began working with Chelsea earlier in the summer and has already been involved in the team’s football operations.
Her responsibilities have included the women’s team’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand, as well as the club’s move between venues for Women’s Super League and UEFA Women’s Champions League fixtures.
Ogunbote joined Burnley in 2021 as the club’s first Head of Women’s Football and was involved in recruitment, player development, performance structures and football operations.
Her time at Burnley ended with the women’s team winning the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division title and securing promotion last season.
Burnley announced on June 23 that Ogunbote would leave the club at the end of the month.
At Chelsea, she has been involved in preparations for Women’s Super League home fixtures at Stamford Bridge and Champions League matches at AFC Wimbledon, as well as matchday operations for both competitions.
Ogunbote trained as a UK-qualified lawyer and previously worked at Goldman Sachs before leaving the corporate sector in 2016 to pursue a career in football.
She later joined Arsenal’s Gap Year programme and gained experience in coaching, player development and football operations in different countries.
Born in Nigeria and raised in East London after moving to Britain as a baby, Lola Ogunbote has also worked on programmes aimed at creating opportunities for girls through football in Africa.Financial Advisory Services
She is an executive director of the United States-based Goals for Girls and brought the organisation’s leadership and football programme to Surulere, Lagos, in February 2026.
The two-day programme brought together 300 female students from 10 schools for football drills and leadership development.
Ogunbote was named in the administration category of the 2024 Football Black List alongside figures including Paul Elliott, Mark Esiri and Fleur Robinson.
Her move to Chelsea adds another Nigerian connection to the Women’s Super League, alongside Super Falcons goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor at Crystal Palace and Rofiat Imuran at Aston Villa.
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