Avram Grant began preparing to be installed as Jose
Mourinho's successor at Chelsea a week ago, Sportsmail can
reveal.
In a sensational twist to the tale of Mourinho's departure, Grant
contacted the boss of Israel's coaching set-up at the end of last
week and said: "I need a Pro Licence and I need it in a hurry."
Former Israel coach Grant who claims that he did not knife the
Portuguese in the back was confirmed as Chelsea's new manager
just 12 hours after Mourinho left the club.
Grant's elevation from director of football was rubber-stamped at a
series of crisis meetings on Wednesday, but it has emerged that he
had an idea well beforehand of what was about to unfold. Grant
first made contact with Amnon Raz, Israel's equivalent of League
Managers' Association chief John Barnwell, six months ago and asked
about the procedure for a Pro Licence but decided against taking it
any further.
There was a different tone about his latest call a week ago,
according to informed Israel Federation sources, as he quizzed Raz
about the quickest way of obtaining a certificate that is viewed as
a necessity for managing in the Premier League. Former Israel
skipper Avi Nimni added: "His appointment may have surprised many
people, but not me. "I am in daily contact with Grant, and this
move has been on the go for a long time. "You have to be beside
Abramovich and Grant to understand the connection between them."
Ex-Israel Under-18 coach Raz is due in London next week to discuss
Grant's options and has also recruited Federation president Avi
Luzon to try to hasten the qualification process.
Sportsmail understands Grant faxed details of his career to Luzon
on Thursday and that the Federation chief will draft a letter,
signed by himself and Raz, urging UEFA to treat the new Chelsea
manager's case as a priority. Luzon said: "It is a great honour for
Israeli football that a coach who came from our ranks has been
given one of the top jobs, if not the top job, in football."
Grant was officially presented as the club's new manager yesterday
and despite major misgivings among the first-team squad ahead of
tomorrow's Premiership clash at Manchester United, he claims he can
be a success. The Israeli, who is observing the strict rules of Yom
Kippur and will not take the team for training today, said: "People
asked who was Arsene Wenger when he first came to England, and look
what he has done.
"No one had heard of Fabio Capello when he began training Milan's
youth team, but look at his record. "It is not fair to compare me
to Jose Mourinho. I respect everything he's done, I don't have a
bad word to say against him. He was special, but I am
normal."
