Chelsea FC manager Emma Hayes will step away from the sport to recover from emergency hysterectomy surgery, the club announced on Thursday. The long-time Blues manager released a statement saying that the procedure took place last week and that she will need time to recover before returning.
Hayes thanked her doctors, family, staff, and players in the statement while outlining the next steps and leadership for the club moving forward. Denise Reddy and Paul Green will take a combined approach in leading the team during Hayes’ absence.
“Last Tuesday I underwent an emergency hysterectomy following my ongoing battle with endometriosis,” she said in a statement. “I’m now in recovery and will need time and patience to return to full health.
“A huge thank you to our owners, the board and our HR director, Jo Stone, for the support they’ve shown and of course all of my family, staff and players. Throughout my absence, Denise Reddy will be making the on-field decisions along with Paul Green who will be carrying out all press obligations on my behalf.”
Hayes has been the manager of the London side since 2012. The team has grown to be one of the most successful clubs in FA Women’s Super League and Europe. The team has won five Women’s Super League titles and four FA Cups under Hayes’ guide, as well as a Champions League final appearance in 2021.
The team is currently in fourth place in the league standings and will face Everton on Sunday. Hayes is confident the team will be able to have success in her temporary absence.
“We have built a tremendous team over many years and we’ve adopted a very multi-disciplinary approach so that if situations like this arise, we are capable of being able to respond to the challenge. We have full confidence in Paul, Denise and all of the staff,” she said.