Avram Grant

Avram Grant at Auschwitz

Simon Rocker — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:02:44 +0100

The England team's run-up to the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine will include a talk next week from two Holocaust survivors.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea manager Avram Grant was at Auschwitz this week, recording a Radio Five Live programme which goes out on Tuesday.

Iran cancels Serbia match because of Israeli manager Avram Grant

Jennifer Lipman — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:30:02 +0000

An Iranian football team has pulled out of a match with a Serbian club because the other side is coached by an Israeli.

Avram Grant, the former West Ham United manager, has been at Partizan Belgrad since last month.

The Serbian team is due to play Iran's Sepahan Isfahan on Friday, in a friendly match.

But the Iranians have told the Belgrade side that they will not take part any more.

In an explanation posted on the Partizan website, Mr Grant said that he had been told "unofficially" that the match had been cancelled because he was Israeli.

"I'm disappointed that the game was cancelled," he said. "They told me it was cancelled because I'm Israeli. I don't mix sports with politics and I'm not going to start now."

Grant: Write me off at your peril

Simon Griver — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:52:11 +0000

As Avram Grant signed an 18-month deal to manage Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade, he pledged to return to the Premier League.

Grant, who has managed at Chelsea, West Ham and Portsmouth, said: "It is no secret that I still want to manage in England where I have been for the past five years.

"I love the place but the offers I received in England were not good enough and probably people remember last season with West Ham and not what I did before that."

Grant was greeted in Belgrade by Partizan fans bearing banners saying "Avram Go Home".

The Israeli replaces the popular Aleksander Stanojevic, who was sacked after falling out with club chairman Dragan Djuric despite a successful spell where the team won the Serbian title and reached the group stages of the Champions League.

Stanojevic left the club 10 points clear at the top going into the winter break. One survey showed that only 20 per cent of Partizan fans support Grant's appointment.

The situation is reminiscent of 2007 when Grant replaced Jose Mourinho at Chelsea after he was sacked by Roman Abramovich despite winning back-to-back titles.

Grant took Chelsea to the Champions League final but lost his job after the defeat against Manchester United after a penalty shootout. He then presided over successive relegations with Portsmouth and West Ham.

Grant will reportedly earn €500,000-a-year with a €400,000 bonus if Partizan qualify for the Champions League group stage.

Grant said: "Partizan is a team with a great reputation and tradition.

"I'm taking on a great challenge and I know we will build a team that succeeds in Europe."

I can still do a job, says Grant

Simon Griver — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:22:38 +0100

Avram Grant is determined to remain in English football despite becoming the first manager to achieve back-to-back Premier League relegations.

Grant took Portsmouth and West Ham down in consecutive seasons but he is looking for another opportunity.

"I have offers but not ones I want," Grant said. "My top priority is to stay in England. I've had some wonderful years here, except last season which was not good at all.

"I had a good season at Portsmouth, even though we went down. But last season hasn't added to my chances. I didn't succeed. I wanted to do something good and major.

"The circumstances were very difficult, and until January I did not have a very good squad. But I do take responsibility."

Grant was linked with a return to Israel but said: "I've had enough of Israeli football, and without wishing to insult any other country, English football is my first choice.

"I'd be prepared to take on a Championship team with potential."

Meanwhile, Tamir Cohen, the former Bolton midfielder, looks set to join Maccabi Haifa.

Someone tell Avram enough is enough

Danny Caro — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:22:22 +0100

Not even the staunchest Avram Grant supporter would want him at their club as manager now. The man's market value has hit rock-bottom, in England at least, following back-to-back relegations.

His departure from West Ham came exactly a year to the day since he left Fratton Park.

Granted (no pun intended), he led Portsmouth to an FA Cup final and had it not been for a points deduction, they may not have gone down last season.

And no-one will ever be able to take away that fact that he steered Chelsea into a Champions League final but that is likely to be as good as it gets.

Pretty much everyone in football describes him as a nice man but a poor manager. For many Jewish football lovers, he's turned into an embarrassing uncle. A bit of a soap opera. It's been one hard luck story after another. Enough is enough.

At times, it's hard to tell if his team has won or lost. He shows little emotion in the dugout, apart from the odd oi vey.

It would be fair to say that I've gone beyond feeling sorry for him. I don't understand why he keeps doing it to himself. A big pay packet is one thing but putting himself in the firing line 24/7 is another. He has been ripped to shreds by the British press and appears to be a glutton for punishment.

Quite simply, he hasn't cut it. I think he's much better suited to the role of Director of Football, working behind the scenes next to a proven figure. He's knowledgeable, experienced and always talks about his teams playing with style and flair but the table does not lie. Football is a results business and the bottom line is that he has failed again.

● The physios at South Manchester Sports Club have been working over-time in recent weeks due to a catalogue of series injuries. First team captain Mark Stewart had an operation on a ruptured cruciate earlier this week. Sam Cantor had a cartilage removed and is awaiting a cruciate operation while Under 14 star Louis Rawlings recently suffered a broken leg.

● Motor racing legend Jody Scheckter is number seven in the Sunday Times Sport Rich List. Having reinvented himself as an organic farmer in Hampshire, Scheckter is estimated to be worth £60m in a list of Sportsmen in England and Ireland.

Chelsea lifeline for Grant

Simon Griver — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:22:02 +0100

Just days after being sacked by West Ham, Avram Grant is looking to get back into management.

The Israeli was shown the door after last weekend's defeat against Wigan Athletic which confirmed relegation.

We understand that Grant has already received an offer from Chelsea, a team he led to the Champions League final in 2008.

Agent Pini Zahavi said: "Avram will be back working in football and he will have better times. He has an offer from Chelsea but I'm not sure that he wants to work as a technical manager. He would rather be on the touchline.

"You must understand that the help he got in terms of player purchases was less than the minimum. If he had got the players he wanted, then West Ham would not have gone down.

"He did not want to make a fuss and made do with the financial situation at the club. But we knew that with these players it was going to be difficult to stay in the Premier League.

"Avram is gutted, not because he was fired but because West Ham were relegated."

Grant described his sacking as "the saddest day" of his football career.

Relegated Hammers part company with Avram Grant

Danny Caro — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:13:18 +0100

Avram Grant has left West Ham following Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Wigan Athletic which sealed their relegation from the Premier Division.

The Hammers threw away a 2-0 lead to become the first team to go down from the top-flight this season.

"Avram Grant is no longer the manager of West Ham United," a statement said.

Kevin Keen, the first-team coach, will take charge of the club's final game of the season at home to Sunderland next Sunday.

After the match, Grant described the relegation as the "most sad day" of his career in football.

He said: "I'm also sorry for the supporters, the people in the club and the players.

"Maybe this game was the story of our season. It's a tough day."

Asked about his future, Grant added: "My future is not important now. All I care about is the commitment to the team and the fans.

"It's a big club and I'm sure they will back to the Premier League."

The Israeli has suffered back-to-back relegation following Portsmouth's demise last season.

Grant: Blame me if we go down

Danny Caro — Mon, 09 May 2011 12:31:51 +0100

Avram Grant has admitted that he will take full responsibility if West Ham are relegated from the Premier Division.

The Israeli manager saw his team's hopes take another blow in the 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Grant said: "The team's position is my responsibility. All the things that happen in the club are down to me.

"I cannot argue with the position but I can argue about the football that we play, which is positive and good.

"We are missing the Player of the Year in Scott Parker and we're bottom, but we're dealing with it as well as we can.

"I want the results to be better. I'm not looking for excuses or saying we have no luck, but maybe we need a bit of luck. It could help.

"Maybe that was the story of our season. We were on top of the other team, created a lot of chances and had good moments in the last 10 minutes.

"It's happened again and again, and it has cost us two points. But the point we got has kept our chances alive."

Currently bottom of the table, the Hammers hope to pull off a dramatic escape act. Anything less than victory at relegation rivals Wigan Athletic would see them go down on Sunday. They entertain Sunderland in their final match on May 22.

Avram Grant punished for referee outburst

Danny Caro — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:19:30 +0100

Avram Grant has received a two-match touchline ban and fined £6,000 for comments made about referee Mike Jones.

The West Ham manager was found guilty of improper conduct over the comments made after the 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Stoke last month.

After the match, Grant said: "Until they scored he gave fouls, a penalty, everything for them."

Grant will miss the games against Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa.

Avram Grant denies FA conduct charge

Danny Caro — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:28:06 +0000

West Ham manager Avram Grant has denied an FA charge of improper conduct over his comments following the FA Cup defeat at Stoke City last month.

He must now attend a personal hearing to be scheduled no later than 7 April.

If found guilty, the Israeli could face a touchline ban.