Ex-Chelsea Manager Grant Set To Join Lampard’s Coaching Staff 

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is contemplating bringing former boss Avram Grant back to the club to add some experience to Frank Lampard’s coaching staff, according to reports.

Grant spent just one season as Chelsea boss and guided the Stamford Bridge outfit to the Champions League final in 2008, when they suffered defeat by Manchester United in Moscow.

But now according to Sky Sports, the Russian billionaire is considering welcoming the 65-year-old Israeli back to west London to add invaluable experience to under-fire Lampard’s staff.

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The club returned to winning ways in the FA Cup third round against Morecambe on Sunday, but have won just one of their last six Premier League matches and have consequently dropped down to ninth in the table.

However, the report adds Grant believes he would be of further value to a side as a first-team manager as opposed to someone who operates behind the scenes, but that could leave the possibility of a short-term deal still on the table.

The claims come less than a week after Grant took to his Instagram page to back Lampard – who scored 20 goals during 40 appearances in all competitions for the Blues during the season the Israeli was in charge.

Grant insisted Lampard should be given time to turn his and the club’s fortunes around. 

‘About the current situation, I can say only this. You need to be strong when things are not going well, when things are going well everyone is a genius and knows what to do,’ Grant said.

‘But in the situation like this when things aren’t going well you need to be strong, look for solutions and show a lot about your character.

‘What I can say to Frank and the others at the club is be patient, and more than this do whatever is necessary to do, that’s for sure. Two things: never lose it even when things are going well, don’t lose your fighting spirit at the highest level.

‘And second, don’t lose what you have here [points at head] – you need to think right and look for solutions. If you do that, then everything will be OK because the quality is there and there is a potential like there was [at Chelsea] in my time.’

Grant was initially appointed to the sporting director role at Stamford Bridge in July 2007 but two months later took over the manager’s role following the departure of Jose Mourinho.

The Israeli did not lose a single Premier League home game until he was dismissed in May 2008 following the club’s Champions League heartbreak, as the Blues finished second in the Premier League, two points behind champions Manchester United. 

The Blues went on to appoint former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari following Grant’s departure. 

More recently however, Grant was involved for a short spell with Indian Super League outfit NorthEast United in 2018, and prior to that was Ghana’s boss for three years.

He enjoyed more success with the Black Stars, leading them to the final of the 2015 Cup of Nations before defeat by Ivory Coast on penalties.