ISL 2017: Ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant set to join NorthEast United FC
Avram Grant was the manager of Chelsea FC in 2007 after Jose Mourinho's departure
What's the story?
Israeli coach Avram Grant is set to take join NorthEast United FC after Joao De Deus was sacked from his post as the head coach of the club, following their poor show in the ongoing ISL. The team lost its last four matches and has a very slim chance of making it through to the semi-finals.
In case you didn't know...
Avram Grant is a very reputed coach who has managed various teams in Israel, winning a number of National League titles and even was at the helm of the Israel national team for four years.
In 2007, he was appointed as the interim manager at Premier League giants Chelsea after the departure of Jose Mourinho and led them to the Champions League final. Following that, he managed other English clubs like Portsmouth and West Ham United.
The heart of the matter
The Israeli was spotted with NorthEast United FC co-owner John Abraham in a picture on the Bollywood stars’ Instagram account.
A club official confirmed to Sportskeeda that Grant would indeed be joining the club. However, Grant is unlikely to join the Highlanders as the head coach. In stead, the NEUFC management is looking at him as more of an option for a technical director role.
What's next?
The team from NorthEast has a string of home matches in the upcoming days against FC Goa, ATK and Chennaiyin FC on January 6th, 12th, and 19th respectively. This will be a perfect opportunity for the team to make a comeback taking advantage of the home support.
It will also be a great chance for Grant to get a better understanding of his squad and prepare for the long term.
Author's take
The John Abraham co-owned team is currently 9th on the ISL table, with just a win form 7 matches. They have managed to score only two goals in the tournament while conceding 12. It will be interesting to see how Grant deals with the crisis situation at the club.