Monaco announces appointment of Emenalo as sporting director

Michael Emenalo is taking a job at AS Monaco.

On Monday, Monaco announced the appointment of Emenalo as its new sporting director. The former footballer will take charge of all sport matters under Vadim Vasilyev, Les Monegasques' vice president and chief executive officer.

Emenalo decided to stand down from his role as Chelsea's technical director in November. He arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2007 and contributed to the Blues' era of success, leading the club's international and domestic scouting network, and assisting in driving the academy's technical programmes and international network.

Chelsea won the Premier League three times while he was employed by the Blues, and also won the Champions League, the Europa League, three FA Cup titles, and the League Cup. During his stint with the Blues, the club signed Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, and N'Golo Kante.

"It's a wonderful opportunity for me in such a high-quality project," Emenalo said. "AS Monaco has shown a great evolution in the past few seasons and I am convinced that the club will keep being successful. Vadim Vasilyev convinced me to join AS Monaco and I believe this is the right choice for me after my decision to leave Chelsea. I will work here with humility and try my best to bring my experience in this club which is a reference of French and European football."

As a footballer, Emenalo represented Nigeria, the country where he was born.