Chelsea Football Club has announced it has sacked manager Avram Grant after 8 months in charge. The news comes three days after the team finished its season with a loss to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final. Grant was named manager and given a four year contract after the depature of Jose Mourinho earlier this season, and had managed to lead the club to a second place finish in the Premier League, along with appearances in the Carling Cup and Champions League finals. However, a lack of actual silverware (Chelsea’s first season without a trophy in four years) appears to have been his final undoing.
Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck was quoted hours before by the Press Association as saying “Although we never would have thought in September when Jose Mourinho left that we would be able to make it into a Champions League Final - as we did, and that is fantastic - Chelsea is here to win trophies so, although it was an excellent season, we are still disappointed.” He also indicated that some of the club’s current players would be cleared out to reduce team size in the summer transfer window.
With Grant no longer in charge, speculation is already rife on who will follow him. The early names being floated around include recently sacked Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, current Russian National Team coach Guus Hiddink, Inter coach Roberto Mancini, and the currently under-fire Sven-Goran Eriksson of Manchester City. There is no word as of yet on the fate of the current Chelsea coaching staff.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
SHHHHHHHHOCKING!
we all knew this was coming, and even though i despise chelsea so much, i have to stick up for this guy because i do think he deserves another season.
To follow ‘the special one’ was an almost impossible task, especially as an unknown. Chelsea (my club) now need to find someone between the two different personalities who is a proven winner, can command the respect of senior players and (my personal wish) to play stylish and winning football. Chelsea better get this next appointment right or we are gonna end up like RM and that is one route I for one do not want to go down. Thanks AG, you tried your best but sadly it appears it was not good enough.
Agreeed, best of luck to Grant, he has been very hard done and I hope is well compensated. West Ham may be the first on the phone. Good luck Avram.
if the special one was so good how come he never got chelsea to a cl final
chelsea is no patient
Good lord … so impatient … so impatient.
yawn. Chelsea fans better get used to revolving players and gaffers. Chelsea is the no-development-needed-when-its-owner-can-buy-anyone-he-wants-and-its-fans-are-willing-to-pay-to-win.
who thought grant was going to stay. 10 million payout, too. not bad.