Grant Claims Mourinho's Support for Chelsea Role
Soccer: Chelsea's new director of football Avram Grant says he was employed with Jose Mourinho's consent.
Avram Grant has insisted that his appointment as Chelsea's new director of football was completed with "Jose Mourinho's blessing" despite the manager's apparent resistance to the Israeli's recruitment when it was first mooted midway through last season.
Grant is to sit on the club's football board and will report to the chief executive, Peter Kenyon, charged with liasing on and coordinating footballing matters across Chelsea's interests. He flew out to Los Angeles with the rest of the first-team squad yesterday for their three-game pre-season tour and, while his appointment may have effectively been made above Mourinho's head, he is confident that he will enjoy a fruitful working relationship with the Portuguese.
"Mourinho gave his blessing for my appointment," said the 52-year-old, who enjoyed a similar role at Portsmouth last season. "I will be responsible for all the professional matters in Chelsea and a coordinator in all football matters. I am happy. This is a dream come true for me. I have a lot of work to do and I will do everything to help the many causes that Chelsea have."
Grant will be joined in Los Angeles today by Chelsea's new signing from Lyon, Florent Malouda, who rejected the chance to join Liverpool and Real Madrid in order to move to Stamford Bridge, with the lure of playing alongside his friend and former team-mate at Guingamp, Didier Drogba, key to his decision. The France international undertook a medical yesterday ahead of completing a £13.5m transfer.
"I felt everyone there wanted me to sign, but Didier pushed for it in particular," said the winger. "and the manager wanted me too. I'd had a few people [from Liverpool] on the phone, particularly Rafael Benítez. But I got the impression that it was only him who really wanted me."
Chelsea could recoup some of the fee by selling Khalid Boulahrouz to Seville for around £3.5m, with the Dutch international set to end an unimpressive 12-month spell in west London following his £7m move from Hamburg last summer.
Grant is to sit on the club's football board and will report to the chief executive, Peter Kenyon, charged with liasing on and coordinating footballing matters across Chelsea's interests. He flew out to Los Angeles with the rest of the first-team squad yesterday for their three-game pre-season tour and, while his appointment may have effectively been made above Mourinho's head, he is confident that he will enjoy a fruitful working relationship with the Portuguese.
"Mourinho gave his blessing for my appointment," said the 52-year-old, who enjoyed a similar role at Portsmouth last season. "I will be responsible for all the professional matters in Chelsea and a coordinator in all football matters. I am happy. This is a dream come true for me. I have a lot of work to do and I will do everything to help the many causes that Chelsea have."
Grant will be joined in Los Angeles today by Chelsea's new signing from Lyon, Florent Malouda, who rejected the chance to join Liverpool and Real Madrid in order to move to Stamford Bridge, with the lure of playing alongside his friend and former team-mate at Guingamp, Didier Drogba, key to his decision. The France international undertook a medical yesterday ahead of completing a £13.5m transfer.
"I felt everyone there wanted me to sign, but Didier pushed for it in particular," said the winger. "and the manager wanted me too. I'd had a few people [from Liverpool] on the phone, particularly Rafael Benítez. But I got the impression that it was only him who really wanted me."
Chelsea could recoup some of the fee by selling Khalid Boulahrouz to Seville for around £3.5m, with the Dutch international set to end an unimpressive 12-month spell in west London following his £7m move from Hamburg last summer.
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