[aLbErTo]

hm...good(& sad) commercial for EPL 08/09

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAt1PjWPR8M...16/0861006.html

This post has been edited by aLbErTo: May 17 2008, 10:24 AM

[Jack Sparrow]

The Daily Miror has reported that Avram Grant rejected a lucrative offer from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to go back to being the club's director of football.

Grant was in charge of the team at Stamford Bridge for eight months following the departure of Jose Mourinho last September, but lost his job on Saturday after a three-hour meeting with Abramovich, reports the Mirror.

The newspaper says Grant did not like what Abramovich was saying, because he felt he had earned the right to build his own team instead of having to work with the players inherited from Mourinho.

But it claims the meeting ended amicably with a drink and a joke, Grant believing he be remembered as the man who built the platform for what Chelsea can go on to achieve.

The Israeli coach would have received a huge pay rise if he had taken the opportunity to return to his former job as director of football on £4million per year.

But he preferred to walk out with his head held high and a pay-off nearer £1million.

Pride mattered more to Grant than the cash. He was proud of his achievements at Chelsea and proud that his reign ended in a Champions League final in front of some 20,000 Chelsea fans who never previously experienced such an occasion.

They were, after all, just a kick away from winning the biggest prize in European club football.

Grant, who received a lot of farewell texts from his players over the weekend, has returned to Israel before going to the United States on holiday.

But the Mirror quoted 'close friends' of his as saying: "It is ridiculous to say that Avram was angry. It's just not right. Roman rang him and asked him to come to his house for a meeting. When he got there, he was asked to go back to being director of football, for a huge pay rise.

"The conversation was pleasant. It was not a negative atmosphere at all. Roman tried to persuade Avram to stay at the club, reminding him how much he loved Chelsea, and that he hadn't come to the club to be manager in the first place.

"But Avram has always believed that you have to be true and honest to yourself, that you have to keep your integrity. If you lose that, you cannot stay anywhere. For Avram, he had to leave."

The newspaper added that Grant feels the decision that finally terminated his tenure as Chelsea manager was not sending on Andriy Shevchenko during extra-time in the Champions League final, especially when the substitute he did nominate, Nicolas Anelka, missed the decisive penalty

I kinda thought it was wierd too. Sheva was definitely playing better than Anelka then. But kudos to Grant. It was a good move on his part.