From East to West: The Mentor Who Transformed Chelsea's Landscape.

Posted 1 months ago

Vinay Menon knew almost nothing about Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, and even less about football—he had never watched a game in his life.

In 2009, Vinay Menon stood at the door of Roman Abramovich's West London mansion, unaware that this meeting would change his life and make him one of the most notable Indians in football.

Menon, born in Kerala and inspired by his yogi grandfather, had built a career in wellness. Through word-of-mouth, he became known to the Russian billionaire. While working with billionaires and celebrities at a luxury hotel in Dubai, he met the father of Abramovich's then-wife, Dasha, during a wellness session.

Impressed, Abramovich invited Menon to London to conduct private sessions. Roman was so taken by Menon's work that he soon sent him to Chelsea's Cobham training ground to work with the first team, making Menon the Premier League's first wellness coach.

"Roman requested it, and it happened," Menon recalls.