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Tottenham CCO Todd Kline to join Chelsea after gardening leave

Tottenham Hotspur Chief Commercial Officer Todd Kline has resigned from his position and will join Chelsea in a senior business role after his gardening leave, according to The Telegraph

The former NFL executive was brought in to secure the naming rights sponsor for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but has failed to do so.

Kline helped secure an 18-year naming rights deal for the Dolphins Stadium in Miami in 2016 as Hard Rock shelled out £180 million.

He caused a stir at Tottenham since he arrived at the club in 2021, with many long-serving and well-liked staff members exiting the club.

They included commercial director Fran Jones who joined Brentford. The move was considered a massive loss for Spurs. 

The turnover level in his department was described as astonishing by insiders, with staff members leaving without other jobs lined up.

Tottenham also lost out on a £42.5 million deal with South Africa during Kline’s time at the club, with the country’s parliament intervening to scupper it.

Spurs opened their state-of-the-art stadium in 2019 and have been looking for a sponsor but have failed to secure one despite holding talks with Google, Uber, FedEx and Amazon.

Stadium naming rights funds are crucial for clubs and help ease worries around Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Kline will join Chelsea and will most likely work with CEO Chris Jurasek on commercial matters at Stamford Bridge.

They are planning to revamp their stadium or build a new one, and Kline will be expected to play a key role in any developments.

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