Avraham Grant
Encyclopedia
Avraham "Avram" Grant is an Israel
i association football manager. Grant has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of national league and cup victories with different teams, and also managing the Israeli national team
for four years.
Grant moved to England in 2006 to become Technical Director of Portsmouth
before being appointed Director of football
at Chelsea
in July 2007. Two months later, in September 2007, following the departure of José Mourinho
, Grant was appointed manager of Chelsea
. Despite steering the team into the Champions League
final, the League Cup
final and contesting the Premier League title to the last day, his contract was terminated at the end of the season.
Grant returned to Portsmouth
as Director of football
in October 2009, and was made manager the following month. After the club's relegation to the Football League Championship
Grant resigned and, on 3 June 2010, was appointed as manager of West Ham United, a role he held up until 15 May 2011, when he was sacked after the club were also relegated to the Football League Championship.
victories, in 1990 and 1991, thus bringing Hapoel Petah Tikva back to the top of Israeli football after nearly 25 years. During this era Petah Tikva fought regularly for the championship against Shlomo Scharf
's Maccabi Haifa
. In his last season in Petah Tikva, Grant lost both the championship and the Israel State Cup
within 3 days to Maccabi Haifa, in a chain of events which is commonly known in Israel as "the Double
robbery".
The next year the club won its first major title in 30 years, by winning its second-ever Israeli Cup.
The following season Grant moved to coach Maccabi Tel Aviv winning Liga Leumit
(then the top division) in his first season with them, with a 13-point advantage over the second place team. Maccabi Tel Aviv lost out closely in the final of the Israeli Cup and was thus denied a historic double. The cup was won by Maccabi Tel Aviv under Grant's control, however, in 1994, followed with another championship in 1995.
Following this, Grant moved to Hapoel Haifa for what has been described as a short and unsuccessful spell, finishing fourth in the Israeli championship. Grant returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv between 1997 and 2000, although this period was less successful than his previous one at the club, winning just the Toto Cup in 1999.
Grant moved to Maccabi Haifa
in 2000, where he coached until 2002. There, he led the team to great success, winning the Israeli Premier League in 2001 and 2002, as well as the Toto Cup in 2002, whilst narrowly missing out on the Israeli Cup, to miss winning the treble. In 2001 the club participated in the 2nd qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League
competition against the Finnish team FC Haka
. Despite winning both legs (1–0 and 4–0) with an aggregate score of 5–0 the club did not progress further. The use of Walid Badir
as a substitute in the final ten minutes of the second leg while under suspension caused disqualification on the grounds of "culpable negligence" and FC Haka proceeded to the next round against Liverpool
.
, replacing the former Denmark
coach Richard Møller Nielsen
. The team participated in Group 1 of the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying round but finished third and so did not take part in the finals in Portugal.
Although not qualifying for the 2006 World Cup
, Israel finished third in their qualifying group behind winners France
and runners-up Switzerland
. Israel missed on qualification to the finals, despite remaining undefeated in the group with four wins and six draws.
and goalkeeper Raffi Cohen at Petah Tikva, Avi Nimni
and Itzik Zohar
at Maccabi Tel Aviv, Gal Alberman
in the Israeli team, and many more. Grant famously did not include Israeli star Eyal Berkovic
in the national squad during 2005, saying he wanted to create "a younger team", but, nonetheless, retaining 34 year-old Avi Nimni
. In 2007, Berkovic described the way Grant became Chelsea's manager as "disgusting" and "disrespectful". Another known critic of Grant in Israel is Shlomo Scharf
, who was Israel's coach during most of the nineties.
Grant, as is also the case with another coach from Petah Tikva, past Israel coach Dror Kashtan
, is considered one of the most successful Israeli coaches. He has a reputation of a lucky winner in Israel, which caused the invention of the frequently used humorous term 'Hatachat shel Avram'. This means 'Avram's Ass
', a reference to the allegedly large amount of luck Grant enjoyed during the 2006 World Cup campaign.
Congolese forward Lomana LuaLua
, presently of Al-Arabi Sports Club, stated that it was Grant's encouragement and emotional support that kept him from ending his career after the loss of his son Yoshuha to pneumonia
. Grant was director of football at Portsmouth
during LuaLua's stint at the club.
in June 2006, overseeing Harry Redknapp
's side.
A personal friend of Roman Abramovich
, on 8 July 2007 Avram Grant was appointed Director of Football at Chelsea FC. After the departure of José Mourinho
from Chelsea on 20 September 2007, Grant was assigned the manager's role, with Steve Clarke
, and later Henk ten Cate
(on 11 October 2007) as his assistants, and becoming the first Israeli to manage an English football club.
When he took the helm at Chelsea, Grant did not hold the required top-flight coaching certification from UEFA. In fact, he had never received the lower-level coaching cerfications from UEFA for "B" and "A" level coaching in Europe. Many Chelsea fans did not take well to Grant's appointment. They protested Mourinho's departure, holding banners at games, which read "Mourinho – The Special One", and chanting Mourinho's name. Chelsea stated that some of the protests directed towards Grant constituted abuse of a racist nature. Bruce Buck
, chairman of Chelsea, claimed they had received points of view which are racist and anti-semitic. Buck stated: "[This] unfairly smears the reputation of the vast majority of the Chelsea fans who rightly do not want to be associated with such activity." . However, many Chelsea fans felt their objections against Grant being appointed as the team's manager are justified, citing his "lack of expertise at the highest levels of football" and Grant's lack of a formal UEFA qualification as manager.
Several unnamed Chelsea players were quoted as saying Grant's methods were "25 years behind the times" and "Chelsea deserve a bigger coach than him. Grant does not have the quality to coach a team like this. When we play big opponents we will suffer because of him." At least one of Grant's staff told friends that they considered leaving the club.
Grant faced his first game only 3 days after taking up the manager's role, losing 2–0 to Manchester United
on 24 September. At his first UEFA Champions League
match as a coach (with Chelsea and in general) he led Chelsea to a 2–1 away win over Valencia
, replicating one of Mourinho's most celebrated wins. Chelsea went on to register a 16-game unbeaten run under Grant, including beating Manchester City 6–0 in one of Chelsea's biggest wins. Subsequently, Grant was offered and signed a four-year contract with Chelsea in December 2007.
In January 2008, Nicolas Anelka
from Bolton Wanderers
, Branislav Ivanović
from Lokomotiv Moscow
, and Franco Di Santo
from Audax Italiano
were added to Grant's Chelsea squad.
In February, Chelsea reached the 2008 League Cup Final
, their first competition final under Grant's management. They lost 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur
at Wembley Stadium
on 24 February, with an extra time winner from centre-back Jonathan Woodgate
. On 8 March, at Barnsley
, Chelsea were eliminated from the FA Cup
1–0. On 23 March, Grant secured his first win against one of the other big four clubs when Chelsea came from behind after two substitutions that were ridiculed by Chelsea fans to beat Arsenal 2–1. On 26 April, Grant got his second big win when Chelsea beat Manchester United 2–1, to move Chelsea into second place in the Premier League
level on points with first place Manchester United with two games remaining in the season. They eventually finished the season in second place, as the team had done the previous year.
Grant was chosen as Premier League Manager of the Month in April in his first season as Chelsea's manager.
On 30 April 2008, Grant's Chelsea beat Liverpool
3–2 (4–3 on aggregate) to advance to the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final
, something they failed to achieve under former manager José Mourinho. Chelsea drew 1–1 with Manchester United in the final, only to lose out on the European Cup
in a penalty shootout which United won 6–5. In the heavy rain, John Terry
slipped on his team's fifth penalty, clipping the ball off the post and wide. Had he scored, Chelsea would have won the tournament.
Three days later, at around 6pm on 24 May 2008, Chelsea announced in a statement on its website that Grant's contract had been terminated with immediate effect. Grant later revealed that he turned down the opportunity to return to the club in his former role as director of football
. Just as his predecessor José Mourinho had done, Grant completed his period as Chelsea manager without losing a single home game in the Premier League.
as their new Director of football
, following the purchase of the club by Ali al-Faraj
. On 26 November 2009, following the release of Paul Hart
, Grant was confirmed as the new manager of the club. His first game as manager was a 4–1 defeat at home to Manchester United
on 28 November 2009. This was followed by a 4–2 home defeat to Aston Villa
in the Carling Cup
. His first win with Pompey arrived in the Premier League on 5 December 2009, with a 2–0 win over Burnley
Following this he led Portsmouth to a 2–0 win over Liverpool
to bring his new side level on points at the foot of the table. Although Portsmouth went into administration
in March 2010 and had nine points deducted as a result (contributing to their eventual relegation in bottom place), Grant oversaw a run to the FA Cup final
which saw them narrowly beaten by his old club Chelsea at Wembley Stadium
. On 20 May 2010, Grant resigned as the manager of Portsmouth. He announced his decision to leave in an open letter to fans on the club's website, stating that "it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make". He went on to say that Portsmouth's fans had brought tears to his eyes with their loyalty, devotion and passion for the club.
which was secured on 8 June. Grant said " I am proud and honoured to be the manager of West Ham. It will be an exciting challenge and I'm ready to do my best". On 5 June 2010, Thomas Hitzlsperger
became Grant's first signing at the club on a free transfer. At the beginning of the 2010–11 season
, Grant led West Ham to its worst-ever start in the Premier League. Their first point being gained on 18 September with Grant unable to take charge of the team for a game at Stoke City
in respect to his Jewish
holy day, Yom Kippur
and assistant coach Paul Groves, Kevin Keen
and assistant manager Željko Petrović
taking charge of the game.
A dismal start to the 2010–11 season saw Grant come under fire after the Hammers had won just two Premier League games by the end of November and stood bottom of the table. However, there was some much needed cause for celebration on 30 November 2010 when his side beat Manchester United
4–0 in the Football League Cup
quarter-final. West Ham became the first side to beat Sir Alex Ferguson's
team in any competition this season, and were semi-finalists in the competition for the first time since the 1989–90 season
.
However, the dismissal of Blackburn Rovers
manager Sam Allardyce
on 13 December 2010 was followed by media reports that West Ham were on the verge of dismissing Grant and offering Allardyce his job. Indeed it was reported Grant was handed an unusual ultimatum: win one of the next three games or face losing his job.
A 3–1 win at Fulham
on Boxing Day—West Ham's first away win of the season—appeared to ease the pressure on Grant, as did a 2–0 home win over fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers on New Year's Day, which lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone. However, a 5–0 defeat at Newcastle United
on 5 January put Grant's position in further doubt as the Hammers slid back to the bottom of the table. The pressure became intense with another defeat on 15 January, as many media sources reported that Martin O'Neill
would replace him as manager, only to later find that O'Neill ruled himself out of the job.
West Ham won only seven Premier League games, under Grant, from 37 played in a season where they won more cup games than league fixtures. During an away game to Wigan Athletic
on 15 May 2011 (a match which West Ham had to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation) a plane
flew over the ground trailing a banner reading "Avram Grant -- Millwall legend", a sarcastic reference to West Ham's fierce local rivalry with Millwall
. West Ham lost 3–2 ensuring their relegation from the Premier League. Grant was sacked the same day, only hours after the end of the match.
. They have a son and a daughter.
Grant's father, Meir Granat, was born in Mława, Poland and deported to Kolyma
, Siberia
during the Second World War
, Grant has said that most of his family died in the Holocaust and that his father had buried his parents, sisters and brothers with his own hands. His mother, Aliza Nisan, is an Iraqi Jewish immigrant who met Meir in Petah Tikva
. In October 2009, Grant's father died aged 82 from complications following surgery to remove a kidney stone. Grant had flown to Israel and was by his side.
On 20 February 2008, Chelsea Football Club
announced that Grant had received anti-Semitic death threats from unknown sources. One of the packages sent to Grant's home was said to have contained a white powder, that after investigation was proved to be harmless.
On 23 December 2009, The Sun
reported that an unnamed Premier League manager had been confronted by its journalists outside an alleged brothel. The newspaper declined to name the manager in the story, citing the risk of a privacy
lawsuit. On 4 February 2010, it was reported that Grant was facing police questioning over the incident on 18 December 2009, and that police were investigating the alleged Thai brothel in Horton Heath, Hampshire
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i association football manager. Grant has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of national league and cup victories with different teams, and also managing the Israeli national team
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
for four years.
Grant moved to England in 2006 to become Technical Director of Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
before being appointed Director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
at Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in July 2007. Two months later, in September 2007, following the departure of José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, Grant was appointed manager of Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. Despite steering the team into the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final, the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
final and contesting the Premier League title to the last day, his contract was terminated at the end of the season.
Grant returned to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
as Director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
in October 2009, and was made manager the following month. After the club's relegation to the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
Grant resigned and, on 3 June 2010, was appointed as manager of West Ham United, a role he held up until 15 May 2011, when he was sacked after the club were also relegated to the Football League Championship.
Israel
Grant's professional coaching career started at age 18, in 1972, as youth coach of his home-town team, Hapoel Petah Tikva. In 1986, After a 14-year spell in this job, he was promoted to first team coach, leading the club to two Toto CupToto Cup
The Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
victories, in 1990 and 1991, thus bringing Hapoel Petah Tikva back to the top of Israeli football after nearly 25 years. During this era Petah Tikva fought regularly for the championship against Shlomo Scharf
Shlomo Scharf
Shlomo Scharf , is an Israeli football manager and a regular commentator on Israeli Sport 5 TV channel. Scharf managed Maccabi Haifa to three championships, and was Israel national football team manager from 1992 to 1999.-Managerial career:...
's Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
. In his last season in Petah Tikva, Grant lost both the championship and the Israel State Cup
Israel State Cup
The State Cup , is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israeli Football Association.The State Cup was first held in 1927–28 as the Palestine Cup...
within 3 days to Maccabi Haifa, in a chain of events which is commonly known in Israel as "the Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
robbery".
The next year the club won its first major title in 30 years, by winning its second-ever Israeli Cup.
The following season Grant moved to coach Maccabi Tel Aviv winning Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place...
(then the top division) in his first season with them, with a 13-point advantage over the second place team. Maccabi Tel Aviv lost out closely in the final of the Israeli Cup and was thus denied a historic double. The cup was won by Maccabi Tel Aviv under Grant's control, however, in 1994, followed with another championship in 1995.
Following this, Grant moved to Hapoel Haifa for what has been described as a short and unsuccessful spell, finishing fourth in the Israeli championship. Grant returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv between 1997 and 2000, although this period was less successful than his previous one at the club, winning just the Toto Cup in 1999.
Grant moved to Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
in 2000, where he coached until 2002. There, he led the team to great success, winning the Israeli Premier League in 2001 and 2002, as well as the Toto Cup in 2002, whilst narrowly missing out on the Israeli Cup, to miss winning the treble. In 2001 the club participated in the 2nd qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
competition against the Finnish team FC Haka
FC Haka
Haka is a Finnish football club, based in the industry town of Valkeakoski. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships and 12 Finnish Cup wins.- History :...
. Despite winning both legs (1–0 and 4–0) with an aggregate score of 5–0 the club did not progress further. The use of Walid Badir
Walid Badir
Walid Badir is an Arab Israeli football player, currently playing as captain for Hapoel Tel Aviv.-Early career:Badir was recognized early on as a valuable prospect, and played for the youth clubs Hapoel Kafr Qasim and Hapoel Petah Tikva, and later was given a spot on second teams premier league...
as a substitute in the final ten minutes of the second leg while under suspension caused disqualification on the grounds of "culpable negligence" and FC Haka proceeded to the next round against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Israeli national team
After leaving Haifa in 2002, Grant became the youngest team coach of IsraelIsrael national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
, replacing the former Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
coach Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen
Richard Møller Nielsen , nicknamed Ricardo, is a Danish former football player and football manager. His greatest triumph came when he coached the Danish national football team which surprisingly won the 1992 European Championship tournament. In 1995, he was knighted as Knight 1st Degree of the...
. The team participated in Group 1 of the UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying round but finished third and so did not take part in the finals in Portugal.
Although not qualifying for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Israel finished third in their qualifying group behind winners France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
and runners-up Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. Israel missed on qualification to the finals, despite remaining undefeated in the group with four wins and six draws.
Management style
Grant is known in Israel for giving a chance to young players in almost every club he coached, such as Alon HazanAlon Hazan
Alon Hazan is a former Israeli footballer. Outside of football he is presently taking a degree in politics.Hazan spent most of his playing career in Israel, but did spend 18 months with English side Watford, with whom he achieved two promotions - from Division Two to the Premier League...
and goalkeeper Raffi Cohen at Petah Tikva, Avi Nimni
Avi Nimni
Avi Nimni is Maccabi Tel Aviv's highest ever scorer and is regarded as one of Maccabi Tel Aviv's greatest players ever. Until 2006, he served as the captain of the Israeli national football team...
and Itzik Zohar
Itzik Zohar
Itzik Zohar is a former Israeli international footballer and television sports personality. Born in Bat Yam, Israel to a family of North African extraction, he holds the distinction of scoring the first two goals for Israel in its first world cup qualifier in the UEFA confederation on October 28,...
at Maccabi Tel Aviv, Gal Alberman
Gal Alberman
Gal Alberman is an Israeli football player. He plays as a central midfielder, currently with Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.-Career:Alberman started playing for Maccabi Petah Tikva in the youth levels. He playing alongside Tomer Ben-Yosef and Omer Golan, among others...
in the Israeli team, and many more. Grant famously did not include Israeli star Eyal Berkovic
Eyal Berkovic
Eyal Berkovic is an Israeli former footballer. He played as a midfielder.He is known in Israel by the nickname Ha-Kosem ....
in the national squad during 2005, saying he wanted to create "a younger team", but, nonetheless, retaining 34 year-old Avi Nimni
Avi Nimni
Avi Nimni is Maccabi Tel Aviv's highest ever scorer and is regarded as one of Maccabi Tel Aviv's greatest players ever. Until 2006, he served as the captain of the Israeli national football team...
. In 2007, Berkovic described the way Grant became Chelsea's manager as "disgusting" and "disrespectful". Another known critic of Grant in Israel is Shlomo Scharf
Shlomo Scharf
Shlomo Scharf , is an Israeli football manager and a regular commentator on Israeli Sport 5 TV channel. Scharf managed Maccabi Haifa to three championships, and was Israel national football team manager from 1992 to 1999.-Managerial career:...
, who was Israel's coach during most of the nineties.
Grant, as is also the case with another coach from Petah Tikva, past Israel coach Dror Kashtan
Dror Kashtan
Dror Kashtan is an Israeli former footballer and current manager. As a player, he represented the Israeli national team three times. As a manager, he took charge of numerous clubs as well as the Israel under-21 team, and, from 2006 to 2010, the senior national team...
, is considered one of the most successful Israeli coaches. He has a reputation of a lucky winner in Israel, which caused the invention of the frequently used humorous term 'Hatachat shel Avram'. This means 'Avram's Ass
Ass
Ass may refer to:* The mammal Equus africanus asinus better known as the Donkey** Asinus subgenus* North American English informal term for buttocks* áss, one of the Æsir in Norse mythology* Ass , by Badfinger...
', a reference to the allegedly large amount of luck Grant enjoyed during the 2006 World Cup campaign.
Congolese forward Lomana LuaLua
Lomana LuaLua
Lomana Trésor LuaLua is a Congolese footballer who plays for Blackpool, and the Congo DR national football team.LuaLua was born in Kinshasa, but moved to England at a young age. After impressing in a college football match, he signed for Colchester United. There, he scored a total of 21 goals in...
, presently of Al-Arabi Sports Club, stated that it was Grant's encouragement and emotional support that kept him from ending his career after the loss of his son Yoshuha to pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. Grant was director of football at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
during LuaLua's stint at the club.
England
In October 2005, Grant announced that he would step down from the national team as his contract was due to expire in June of the following year. Subsequently, he took up the position of Technical Director at PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in June 2006, overseeing Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
's side.
Chelsea
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
, on 8 July 2007 Avram Grant was appointed Director of Football at Chelsea FC. After the departure of José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
from Chelsea on 20 September 2007, Grant was assigned the manager's role, with Steve Clarke
Steve Clarke
Stephen "Steve" Clarke is a Scottish association football player and coach, currently the assistant manager at Liverpool. He played for St. Mirren, Chelsea and Scotland, winning three major trophies with Chelsea towards the end of his career...
, and later Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player.In the 2005–06 season, he was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona that guided the team to a Champions League Trophy and La Liga title...
(on 11 October 2007) as his assistants, and becoming the first Israeli to manage an English football club.
When he took the helm at Chelsea, Grant did not hold the required top-flight coaching certification from UEFA. In fact, he had never received the lower-level coaching cerfications from UEFA for "B" and "A" level coaching in Europe. Many Chelsea fans did not take well to Grant's appointment. They protested Mourinho's departure, holding banners at games, which read "Mourinho – The Special One", and chanting Mourinho's name. Chelsea stated that some of the protests directed towards Grant constituted abuse of a racist nature. Bruce Buck
Bruce Buck
Bruce M. Buck is an American attorney and founding managing partner of the London office of U.S. law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom . He is also Chairman of Chelsea Football Club...
, chairman of Chelsea, claimed they had received points of view which are racist and anti-semitic. Buck stated: "[This] unfairly smears the reputation of the vast majority of the Chelsea fans who rightly do not want to be associated with such activity." . However, many Chelsea fans felt their objections against Grant being appointed as the team's manager are justified, citing his "lack of expertise at the highest levels of football" and Grant's lack of a formal UEFA qualification as manager.
Several unnamed Chelsea players were quoted as saying Grant's methods were "25 years behind the times" and "Chelsea deserve a bigger coach than him. Grant does not have the quality to coach a team like this. When we play big opponents we will suffer because of him." At least one of Grant's staff told friends that they considered leaving the club.
Grant faced his first game only 3 days after taking up the manager's role, losing 2–0 to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 24 September. At his first UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match as a coach (with Chelsea and in general) he led Chelsea to a 2–1 away win over Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, replicating one of Mourinho's most celebrated wins. Chelsea went on to register a 16-game unbeaten run under Grant, including beating Manchester City 6–0 in one of Chelsea's biggest wins. Subsequently, Grant was offered and signed a four-year contract with Chelsea in December 2007.
In January 2008, Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
from Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, Branislav Ivanović
Branislav Ivanovic
Branislav Ivanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League and the Serbia national team....
from Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
, and Franco Di Santo
Franco di Santo
Franco Matías di Santo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Wigan Athletic.- Audax Italiano :Di Santo began his club career in the Chilean team Audax Italiano. In the 2006–07 season he scored 26 goals in 76 matches, including one goal in six matches in the Copa Libertadores...
from Audax Italiano
Audax Club Sportivo Italiano
Audax Italiano La Florida is a Chilean football club based in La Florida. Founded in 1910, it plays in the Chilean Primera División and has spent most of their history in the top tier of Chilean football. Audax has been national champions four times, being the sixth chilean team with more title...
were added to Grant's Chelsea squad.
In February, Chelsea reached the 2008 League Cup Final
2008 Football League Cup Final
The 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
, their first competition final under Grant's management. They lost 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 24 February, with an extra time winner from centre-back Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Woodgate
Jonathan Simon Woodgate is an English footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Woodgate started his football career at Leeds United where he established himself in the starting eleven. However, Woodgate was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in January 2003. He impressed...
. On 8 March, at Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
, Chelsea were eliminated from the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
1–0. On 23 March, Grant secured his first win against one of the other big four clubs when Chelsea came from behind after two substitutions that were ridiculed by Chelsea fans to beat Arsenal 2–1. On 26 April, Grant got his second big win when Chelsea beat Manchester United 2–1, to move Chelsea into second place in the Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
level on points with first place Manchester United with two games remaining in the season. They eventually finished the season in second place, as the team had done the previous year.
Grant was chosen as Premier League Manager of the Month in April in his first season as Chelsea's manager.
On 30 April 2008, Grant's Chelsea beat Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
3–2 (4–3 on aggregate) to advance to the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final
2008 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
, something they failed to achieve under former manager José Mourinho. Chelsea drew 1–1 with Manchester United in the final, only to lose out on the European Cup
European Champion Clubs' Cup
The European Champion Clubs' Cup, also known as Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens, or simply the European Cup, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Champions League...
in a penalty shootout which United won 6–5. In the heavy rain, John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
slipped on his team's fifth penalty, clipping the ball off the post and wide. Had he scored, Chelsea would have won the tournament.
Three days later, at around 6pm on 24 May 2008, Chelsea announced in a statement on its website that Grant's contract had been terminated with immediate effect. Grant later revealed that he turned down the opportunity to return to the club in his former role as director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
. Just as his predecessor José Mourinho had done, Grant completed his period as Chelsea manager without losing a single home game in the Premier League.
Portsmouth
On 7 October 2009, Grant returned to PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
as their new Director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
, following the purchase of the club by Ali al-Faraj
Ali al-Faraj
Ali al-Faraj is a Saudi Businessman, and formerly the majority stakeholder in Portsmouth Football Club. It has been suggested that he may not exist.-Portsmouth FC:...
. On 26 November 2009, following the release of Paul Hart
Paul Hart
Paul Hart is an English football manager and former football defender, who is currently Academy Director at Charlton Athletic. The son of Johnny Hart, a football inside forward and manager, Hart had five-year spells with both Blackpool and Leeds United, while also playing for Nottingham Forest and...
, Grant was confirmed as the new manager of the club. His first game as manager was a 4–1 defeat at home to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 28 November 2009. This was followed by a 4–2 home defeat to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in the Carling Cup
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....
. His first win with Pompey arrived in the Premier League on 5 December 2009, with a 2–0 win over Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
Following this he led Portsmouth to a 2–0 win over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
to bring his new side level on points at the foot of the table. Although Portsmouth went into administration
Administration (British football)
Sports clubs in the United Kingdom, most often in football, sometimes choose to enter administration when they are unable to pay off outstanding debts. Under the Insolvency Act 1986 a business will face a winding up order bringing them to court and if it is shown that a business cannot pay debts as...
in March 2010 and had nine points deducted as a result (contributing to their eventual relegation in bottom place), Grant oversaw a run to the FA Cup final
2010 FA Cup Final
The 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London...
which saw them narrowly beaten by his old club Chelsea at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. On 20 May 2010, Grant resigned as the manager of Portsmouth. He announced his decision to leave in an open letter to fans on the club's website, stating that "it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make". He went on to say that Portsmouth's fans had brought tears to his eyes with their loyalty, devotion and passion for the club.
West Ham United
On 3 June 2010, Grant signed a four year deal with West Ham subject to a work permitWork permit (United Kingdom)
The UK Work Permit scheme was an immigration category used to encourage skilled workers to enter the United Kingdom up till November 2008, when it was replaced by the points-based immigration system...
which was secured on 8 June. Grant said " I am proud and honoured to be the manager of West Ham. It will be an exciting challenge and I'm ready to do my best". On 5 June 2010, Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder. He plays for Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after signing a three-year deal on 17 August 2011. Hitzlsperger spent the early part of his career playing for Aston Villa in England , before returning to Germany to play for Stuttgart...
became Grant's first signing at the club on a free transfer. At the beginning of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
, Grant led West Ham to its worst-ever start in the Premier League. Their first point being gained on 18 September with Grant unable to take charge of the team for a game at Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in respect to his Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
holy day, Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
and assistant coach Paul Groves, Kevin Keen
Kevin Keen
Kevin Keen is a football coach, manager and former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Wycombe Wanderers, West Ham United, Wolves, Stoke City and Macclesfield Town...
and assistant manager Željko Petrović
Željko Petrovic
Željko Petrović is a retired Montenegrin footballer and was the technical coach of Feyenoord Rotterdam in the 2004/2005 season.-Club career:...
taking charge of the game.
A dismal start to the 2010–11 season saw Grant come under fire after the Hammers had won just two Premier League games by the end of November and stood bottom of the table. However, there was some much needed cause for celebration on 30 November 2010 when his side beat Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
4–0 in the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
quarter-final. West Ham became the first side to beat Sir Alex Ferguson's
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
team in any competition this season, and were semi-finalists in the competition for the first time since the 1989–90 season
1989-90 in English football
-European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :...
.
However, the dismissal of Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
on 13 December 2010 was followed by media reports that West Ham were on the verge of dismissing Grant and offering Allardyce his job. Indeed it was reported Grant was handed an unusual ultimatum: win one of the next three games or face losing his job.
A 3–1 win at Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on Boxing Day—West Ham's first away win of the season—appeared to ease the pressure on Grant, as did a 2–0 home win over fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers on New Year's Day, which lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone. However, a 5–0 defeat at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 5 January put Grant's position in further doubt as the Hammers slid back to the bottom of the table. The pressure became intense with another defeat on 15 January, as many media sources reported that Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
would replace him as manager, only to later find that O'Neill ruled himself out of the job.
West Ham won only seven Premier League games, under Grant, from 37 played in a season where they won more cup games than league fixtures. During an away game to Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 15 May 2011 (a match which West Ham had to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation) a plane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
flew over the ground trailing a banner reading "Avram Grant -- Millwall legend", a sarcastic reference to West Ham's fierce local rivalry with Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
. West Ham lost 3–2 ensuring their relegation from the Premier League. Grant was sacked the same day, only hours after the end of the match.
Personal life
Grant is married to Israeli television personality Tzufit GrantTzufit Grant
Tzufit Grant is an Israeli actress and former host of the television show Milkshake. She was born in Petah Tikva, Israel.-Credits:...
. They have a son and a daughter.
Grant's father, Meir Granat, was born in Mława, Poland and deported to Kolyma
Kolyma
The Kolyma region is located in the far north-eastern area of Russia in what is commonly known as Siberia but is actually part of the Russian Far East. It is bounded by the East Siberian Sea and the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Sea of Okhotsk to the south...
, Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Grant has said that most of his family died in the Holocaust and that his father had buried his parents, sisters and brothers with his own hands. His mother, Aliza Nisan, is an Iraqi Jewish immigrant who met Meir in Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...
. In October 2009, Grant's father died aged 82 from complications following surgery to remove a kidney stone. Grant had flown to Israel and was by his side.
On 20 February 2008, Chelsea Football Club
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
announced that Grant had received anti-Semitic death threats from unknown sources. One of the packages sent to Grant's home was said to have contained a white powder, that after investigation was proved to be harmless.
On 23 December 2009, The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
reported that an unnamed Premier League manager had been confronted by its journalists outside an alleged brothel. The newspaper declined to name the manager in the story, citing the risk of a privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
lawsuit. On 4 February 2010, it was reported that Grant was facing police questioning over the incident on 18 December 2009, and that police were investigating the alleged Thai brothel in Horton Heath, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Manager
15 May 2011| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Hapoel Petah Tikva |  Israel |
1986 | 1991 |
|||||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
1991 | 1995 | |||||
| Hapoel Haifa | |
1995 | 1996 |
|||||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
1996 | 2000 | |||||
| Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa F.C. Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups... |
|
2000 | 2002 |
|||||
| Israel Israel national football team The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate... |
|
2002 | 2005 |
|||||
| Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
 |
2007 | 2008 |
|||||
| Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
|
2009 | 2010 |
|||||
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
|
2010 | 2011 |
|||||
Honours
- With Hapoel Petah Tikva:
- Toto Cup AlToto CupThe Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
(2): 1989–90; 1990–91
- Toto Cup Al
- With Maccabi Tel Aviv:
- Israeli championships (2): 1991–92; 1994–95
- Israel State CupIsrael State CupThe State Cup , is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israeli Football Association.The State Cup was first held in 1927–28 as the Palestine Cup...
: 1993–94 - Toto Cup AlToto CupThe Toto Cup is an association football tournament that exists separately in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Premier League and Liga Leumit....
(2): 1992–93; 1998–99
- With Maccabi HaifaMaccabi Haifa F.C.Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
:- Israeli championships (2): 2000–01; 2001–02
- With ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- Premier League: 2007–08 (runner-up)
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2007–082008 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
(runner-up) - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 2007–082008 Football League Cup FinalThe 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
(runner-up)
- With PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 2009–102010 FA Cup FinalThe 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London...
(runner-up)
- FA Cup