Chelsea Academy Rises with Van der Kraan | Chelsea F.C. News

Chelsea’s academy just got a major upgrade with Glenn van der Kraan promoted to Academy Director — a move that signals serious investment in youth development. Since joining in 2024, van der Kraan has unified coaching, playing style, and player progression across all age groups, leading to historic wins for U21 and U18 teams and 10 academy players making first-team debuts. With Xabi Alonso now at the helm — known for nurturing young talent — the pathway to senior football is suddenly brighter. Van der Kraan is thrilled, ready to lead Chelsea’s next generation to stardom. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/76a8a5ea73ee8616