Defending champions Manchester United made it an unhappy Premier League return for Avram Grant on Saturday as they beat Portsmouth 4-1 at Fratton Park.

In a match of three penalties, the reds ran out comfortable winners in Grant's first match back since, as manager he lost the Champions League finals in a spot-kick shootout in 2008.

That was not the only similarity to that dramatic night in Moscow as the Israeli stood in his technical area and got a good soaking for his efforts as the match was played in torrential rain.

Portsmouth have confirmed today that Avram Grant will be their new manager.

The former Chelsea manager returned to Fratton Park in October, for a second spell as Director of Football, but he unable to start the role as he awaited a work permit.

Avram Grant is the favourite to become Portsmouth manager after Paul Hart was sacked on Tuesday.

The Israeli recently returned to the club as Director of Football, although he awaits a work permit, which is expected to before the weekend clash against Manchester United.

The match would see a fairytale return for Grant, should he be appointed manager, as it would give him the opportunity to avenge the 2008 Champions League final defeat in Moscow, when United beat Grant’s Chelsea on penalties.

Meir Granat, the father of Avram Grant, passed away on Saturday night.

The 82-year-old Holocaust survivor’s health deteriorated after complications following routine surgery to remove a kidney stone.

He was in intensive care at Tel Hashomer Hospital and lay unconscious for eight weeks.

Recently reappointed Director of Football at Portsmouth, Grant missed the weekend Premier League match against Spurs as he rushed back to Israel to be by his father’s side. He joined family members for a bedside vigil before his father faded away.

Avram Grant was appointed Director of Football at Portsmouth despite opposition from the club’s CEO Peter Storrie, the JC understands.

Reports in Israel have contradicted Storrie’s claim that manager Paul Hart will be solely responsible for team selection. Grant will select the side together with Hart and is expected to join him on the touchline although it remains unclear whether the Israeli will be involved in tomorrow’s game at Fratton Park against Spurs. Grant’s second spell at the club has been delayed by work-permit red tape.

Avram Grant’s return to Portsmouth has been delayed by work-permit red tape.

Grant, 54, was recently reappointed Director of Football at the struggling Premier League club and although he was expected to start work on Monday, the Home Office will not allow the Israel to resume his old post until his application has been considered and signed off.

“There is nothing we can do to speed it up,” said Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie. “He has applied in the normal way and all we can do is wait and see what happens. It is annoying but these things take time.”

Avram Grant, the former Chelsea manager, is the favourite to replace Dror Kashtan as head coach of the Israel national team, following the catastrophic home defeat to Latvia that realistically ended the team’s hopes of qualifying for World Cup finals.

Grant, 54, is the preferred choice of Avi Luzon, the Israel FA chairman, who made it clear that Kashtan will not continue for the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant told the story of his father’s survival of the Holocaust at the launch of the UK branch of an Israeli charity.

Meir Panim supports Israelis living in poverty, including Holocaust survivors.

Mr Grant, who coached Chelsea to last year’s Champions League final, discussed his father Meir Granat’s survival in Siberia, where he was exiled for three years during the Holocaust.

“I will never forget him screaming during the night,” said Mr Grant, who was told of his father’s story when he was 15.

Avram Grant has been approached with a view of becoming the next manager of the Czech Republic national team.

The former Chelsea manager, 53, has been out of work for almost a year and is reported to have been offered a four-year deal worth £900,000 a year.

The Czech FA have been in negotiations with Grant's agent Pini Zahavi, and vice-president Jaroslav Vacek confirmed: “We have spoken with a person who officially represents Mr Grant. We still hear how the team degenerated, but it does have its quality and the new coach, if he succeeds, can make a good name by that.”