Chelsea sack commercial director over inappropriate messages

Chelsea FC has announced that they have sacked their commercial director, Damian Willoughby, over allegations of sending inappropriate messages to a female colleague.

According to reports, Willoughby was accused of sending a series of inappropriate and offensive messages to a female employee at the club, which led to an investigation being launched.

Chelsea FC has confirmed that the allegations were found to be true and that Willoughby has been dismissed from his position as commercial director.

In a statement, the club said: "Chelsea FC has taken the decision to terminate the employment of Damian Willoughby, our commercial director, with immediate effect.

"This decision has been made following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female colleague. The club takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously and will not tolerate any behavior that is disrespectful or inappropriate towards our employees.

"We apologize to the individual concerned and assure them that we will do everything in our power to support them during this difficult time.

"We will also be conducting a thorough review of our internal processes and procedures to ensure that we are doing everything we can to prevent such incidents from happening in the future."

This is not the first time that Chelsea FC has faced allegations of inappropriate behavior within the club. In 2019, the club was accused of covering up allegations of sexual misconduct by former coach, Antonio Conte.

The club has since implemented a number of measures to improve its handling of allegations of inappropriate behavior, including the appointment of a dedicated employee relations manager and the introduction of a new reporting system for employees to report any incidents of inappropriate behavior.

It is not clear at this time whether Willoughby will face any further action or legal proceedings as a result of the allegations against him.