Avram Grant has been appointed Chelsea's new sporting
director, according to sources at the Premiership
club.
The move, which is expected to be officially announced after 1
July, is a further sign of the tenuous grip that manager Jose
Mourinho has on his own job. Crucially Grant will be given
wide-ranging powers - including involvement in coaching, signing
players and their recruitment.
Mourinho will not walk out, as he threatened to do when Chelsea
owner Roman Abramovich first proposed employing Grant back in
January as a means of improving the club's fortunes and getting
more out of misfiring striker Andrei Shevchenko in particular.
However, it will be fascinating to see how Mourinho copes with the
new structure.
Grant will leave his current post as technical director of
Portsmouth. It is understood that Grant, who had never previously
worked outside Israel, has agreed a two-year contract.
The appointment of the 51-year-old is part of a significant
reduction in Mourinho's influence at Chelsea which was prompted by
the row between manager and owner last season. The role Grant will
take is remarkable. It effectively recognises him as a good coach,
a good judge of player and a confidant to Abramovich - something
that will irk Mourinho.
Grant is said to be an urbane, charming character and has also
build a strong bond with Frank Arnesen who has endured a difficult
relationship with Mourinho since his own appointment as Chelsea's
head of scouting and youth development. Grant was first introduced
to Abramovich three years ago by the agent Pini Zahavi. He was then
the coach of the Israeli national team and has since managed to get
the ear of the Russian billionaire.
Abramovich has been planning for some time to change the way
Chelsea is run having grown tired of Mourinho's antics and also
puzzled as to why a manager at a football club traditionally holds
so much power. He wants the power to be spread between a number of
senior figures and coaches.
Quite how this will work in practice remains to be seen especially
with a fiery character such as Mourinho, who has threatened to walk
out in the past if there was any interference with his backroom
staff. At one stage it was suggested that Mourinho should sack one
of his assistants, Steve Clarke, to make room for Grant.
Mourinho was eventually willing to compromise once it transpired
that Abramovich was contemplating sacking him in any case.
Abramovich has since made clear that Mourinho must accept Grant if
he wants to remain while Arnesen has also been given even greater
control over player recruitment.
As part of that role the Dane was in Groningen on Saturday to watch
the final of the Under-21s European Championship between the
Netherlands and Serbia. It is understood that Arnesen was primarily
watching the Serbian midfielder Bosko Jankovic.
Arnesen was accompanied by the Chelsea scout Hans Gillhaus and the
pair were said to be impressed with the 23-year-old's performance
even if Serbia were beaten. Jankovic, who plays for Real Mallorca,
has enjoyed a fine tournament.
Arnesen will now travel to the Under-20 World Cup in Canada where
he will monitor the Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato, whose club
Internacional are planning to cash in on the 17-year-old. Chelsea
are also continuing to monitor developments with Lyon winger
Florent Malouda.