Chelsea sack Grant

[wavydavy]

Had a good laugh when he took over from Jose. He wasn't even remotely close to being Chelsea's manager. Still isn't. For me this year's success (and it was!) was down to their playing staff. When you've got Cech, Terry, Lampard, Essien, Drogba, Ballack, et al you could appoint anyone as manager and still be up there. Seemed a nice fella though. He'll probably kop for a decent job somewhere after this seson's exploits. Good luck to the guy!!

[Vermilion]

Aye, Jose back in......what a disgusting revolting thought. Vile little man. (can coach though, so they say).

[Rich]

Mourinho back could happen

[wavydavy]

Truth is that nobody seems keen on Jose do they? Despite his record his antics seem to have put the big sides off.

[JohnDoe]

I feel sorry for Grant. He did well and deserves to be treated better.

[-V-]

Grant is a mouthy **** as was Mourinho who seems to be headed for Inter Milan

Good to see the back of both of em. I hated seeing that prat Grant get down on his knees and point to the sky after Chelsea beat us. What a ****in ****, he barely did anything, the team picks itself and the players are quality enough

[Rhys]

rijkaard, hiddink, mourinho and mancini seem the likely candidates imo.

[spud_gun]

Lets hope these ****s self destruct. That they turn into a European type club with a megalomaniac chairman who has a revolving door for managers.

[Vermilion]

Lets hope these ****s self destruct. That they turn into a European type club with a megalomaniac chairman who has a revolving door for managers.

We can always say they bought whatever they win, so with that in mind, i'd rather they end up with the odd purchased title, when we aren't winning it obviously, rather than the scum passing our record with ease & disappearing into the sunset.

[kev776]

I wish they would let me be their manager, I would have the *******s in the championship faster than Abranabitch could count his enemies.

[cannotmakeit]

The bright side, he still getting his 3 years and 4 months of salary.

Sven's agent has to be faxing his cv to Kenyon.

[jonesie]

Good luck to Grant in whatever he does next. He never stepped out of that huge shadow created by 'The Special One's' ego and I felt sorry for him in the end.

And guess who's been shooting his mouth off already...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/25/chelsea.premierleague

Sacked Grant dubbed a 'loser' by Mourinho

Avram Grant has been sacked by Chelsea, on the day José Mourinho broke his long silence on his successor at Stamford Bridge by criticising the Israeli's failure to win a single trophy. The Portuguese went on to suggest that the football philosophy of his successor is that of 'a loser'.

Mourinho's interview with The Observer comes as it emerges that Roman Abramovich made his former manager the extraordinary gift of a limited edition Ferrari worth more than £2million in the immediate aftermath of Grant's debilitating Carling Cup final loss to Tottenham.

February's defeat was one of three final-day failures, culminating in Wednesday's Champions League Final loss to Manchester United. The Israeli coach had his contract terminated last night.

Asked if Chelsea's campaign had been the good one Grant depicted it as, Mourinho said: 'That depends on your philosophy of leadership. In my philosophy it was a very bad one because in football "almost" means defeat and Chelsea almost won the Carling Cup, almost won the Champions League, and almost won the Premier League. Almost is nothing.

'After two titles per season for the last three years there were zero titles this season, which in my philosophy means a really bad season. Maybe in the philosophy of a loser this was a great season, which I respect.'

Mourinho was in regular contact with Abramovich and several of his former players ahead of the Champions League final and was quick to commiserate with them after their defeat on penalties in Moscow. He told the Russian billionaire that Chelsea would not continue to suffer the misfortune that also cost them two previous European Cup semi-finals to Liverpool.

'The best team lost the Champions League final, like last season the best team lost the Champions League semi-final,' Mourinho said. 'That is football. I have always said that details make the difference at this level - and luck is a really big detail.

'I am very sad about what happened. In the last two years this team lost a Champions League final and a Champions League semi-final on penalties. The supporters deserve more, Roman and the board deserve more, top people like [Frank] Lampard, [Michael] Essien, [Claude] Makelele, Ashley [Cole], Didier [Drogba], [Ricardo] Carvalho, [and coaches] Steve Clarke, Mick McGiven and some others deserve happiness. I still think of them as my boys.

'Yes, I was sad. Yes, I felt deeply that it was not fair. But I believe that after an empty season new success will come to Chelsea. And I will always be a Chelsea supporter.'

The chances of Mourinho returning as Chelsea manager have increased significantly in recent weeks. Mourinho was astounded when Chelsea director Eugene Tenenbaum called in February to inform him that Abramovich had purchased a rare Ferrari for the man he had removed from Stamford Bridge five months previously.

Customised with Mourinho's 'Special One' moniker, the 612 Scaglietti was one of just 60 produced to commemorate Ferrari's 60th anniversary. While still at Chelsea, Mourinho had told Abramovich that if he could have his choice of cars, the four-seat Scaglietti would be it. The list price is around £250,000, but such is its rarity the secondary-market value is as much as eight times that amount.

Abramovich's gift was made at a time at which he had begun to consider replacing Grant as manager, with Mourinho's name raised as a potential appointment. While such a move appears more feasible now that Grant has gone, sources close to the Portuguese coach say that he is too close to taking a position in Italy for it to happen this close season, although they do not rule it out in the future.

Mourinho is likely to take over from Roberto Mancini at Internazionale, and may sign a contract with the Serie A club this week. He has already drawn up plans for next season and is likely to take Didier Drogba with him to Italy.

Grant has agreed a £5.2m pay-off from Chelsea. Former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard remains a prime candidate to replace him, although Chelsea have also been involved in secret conversations with Guus Hiddink, whose position as Russia's national coach is not as secure as has been presented.

Hiddink has a provisional contract to coach Russia until the 2010 World Cup, but that will not be ratified until after Euro 2008, and senior figures in the Russian Football Union are unimpressed by the team's qualification campaign. Vitaly Mutko, newly appointed sports minister and head of the Russian Football Union, said: 'We will evaluate his work after the European Championship.' Although his salary is funded by the Chelsea owner, Hiddink has previously resisted invitations to manage the club for personal reasons.

Sven-Goran Eriksson, who was approached about the Stamford Bridge post before Mourinho replaced Claudio Ranieri in 2004, is due to meet Chelsea officials next week after he is formally dismissed by Manchester City. The Swede had been linked with a return to his former club Benfica, but the Lisbon side have appointed Quique Sánchez Flores. The Spaniard was sacked by Valencia last October.

[jonesie]

Although my abiding memory of him will always be this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbWkgzRk-hQ

[EwarWoo]

Aye, Jose back in......what a disgusting revolting thought. Vile little man. (can coach though, so they say).

Consider the position the Chavs were in when he left. Grant getting to even points on the final day is IMHO greater than Maureens achivement of winning it due to the hamperred position he was in when he started.

Consider he kept failing at the semi stage of the CL. Grant got a final in his first season.

Maureen did **** all when placed in comparison to Grant. Grant was an unknown quantity but he did a great job so although it could be seen coming it's still a shock it happenned.

I would cheer it as a bad day for chavs. But truth is it's another bad day for the EPL. The EPL is heading this way and it's awful to see. No-one has any loyalty anymore. Bunch of *******s.

[TheStig]

'The best team lost the Champions League final, like last season the best team lost the Champions League semi-final

Still bitter? (And we were better anyway)