Grant sacked as Chelsea coach

Avram Grant has been sacked as manager of Chelsea after lessthan one season in charge, the English Premier League clubannounced on Saturday.Grant's future was the focus of fierce speculation almostfrom the time he inherited the Stamford Bridge reins from JoseMourinho eight months ago. And just three days after his side cameoff second best in a penalty shoot-out to Manchester United in theUEFA Champions League final in Moscow,Corinthians Shirt, the Israeli's tenure isnow at an end.Names in the frame to succeed the Israeli includeBarcelona's Frank Rijkaard, Inter Milan coach Roberto Manciniand Russia's Dutch boss Guus Hiddink.Despite the constant questioning of his position Grant, a closefriend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, had been credited withleading the club to their first ever Champions League final. Healso oversaw their late surge for the league title,Kaizer Chiefs Shirt, taking Uniteddown to the final day of the season before they were forced tosettle for second place.The club announced the sacking in a statement on their officialwebsite. "Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Avram Granthas had his contract as manager terminated today (Saturday),"the statement read."This follows meetings over the last two days. Everybody atChelsea FC would like to thank Avram for his contribution sincetaking over as manager last September."We will now be concentrating all our efforts onidentifying a new manager for Chelsea and there will be no furthercomment until that appointment is made."The futures of Chelsea assistants Steve Clarke and Henk Ten Cateare unclear, but no official word has yet been given on theirpositions. Reports in the British press suggest Grant may return toa job upstairs at Stamford Bridge as director of football, a posthe held under Mourinho before he was plucked from relativeobscurity to occupy one of the hottest seats in football.Obscure beginningsGrant's Chelsea career started with his appointment asdirector of football in the summer of 2007 but he moved into thedugout in the aftermath of Mourinho's controversial departureafter Chelsea's drab 1-1 draw with Norwegian side Rosenberg inthe Champions League.Grant was not afforded much of a honeymoon period in west Londonand fans soon made their disappointment at the Portuguese'sexit - and some of Grant's tactical decisions - heard.But he shrugged off the continued speculation and made what hadseemed like a Manchester United coronation into a hard-foughtbattle for the league title,Bayern Munich Shirt, while also enjoying victory overLiverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League.It was a feat the popular Mourinho failed to achieve in his owntime with the Blues and the irony of that statistic was not lost onGrant, who jokingly made his own claims to the title of 'thespecial one'. But the laughter soon subsided with a drawagainst Bolton on the last day of the domestic season, coupled witha United win which handed Sir Alex Ferguson's men thetrophy.Defeat in Moscow - with captain John Terry and Nicolas Anelka,the keynote signing of the Grant era, missing spot-kicks -eventually proved to be his final act as Chelsea boss.