# Avram Grant
**Avram Grant** (Hebrew: אברהם "אברם" גרנט; born Avraham Granat) is an Israeli professional football manager whose career has spanned club management in Israel and England, the national teams of Israel, Ghana, and Zambia, and a [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) final with Chelsea in 2008.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) He was born in [Petah Tikva](https://www.edgepedia.org/petah-tikva), Israel, to Meir Granat, a Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor, and Aliza Nisan, an Iraqi-Jewish immigrant.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) Sources disagree on his birth year: the West Ham United official history gives 6 February 1961,[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant) while a biographical encyclopedia and a Japanese-language career record give 6 February 1955.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nationality and birthplace | Israeli, born in Petah Tikva; birth name Avraham Granat[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) |
| Israeli club honors | League titles with Maccabi Tel Aviv (1991–92, 1995) and Maccabi Haifa (2000–01, 2001–02), plus State Cup and Toto Cup wins[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) • [2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant) |
| Israel national team | Manager 2002–2006; lost six of 33 matches, including an unbeaten 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant) |
| Chelsea 2007/08 | Took over from José Mourinho in September 2007; reached the Champions League final, League Cup final, and second place in the Premier League; contract terminated on 24 May 2008[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fc6b6-0560a8a4bd58-1000--grant-given-marching-orders-by-chelsea/) |
| 2008 Champions League final | Chelsea lost 6–5 on penalties to Manchester United after a 1–1 draw in Moscow[4](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fb224-b09d4d2ab92b-1000--grant-proud-of-chelsea-achievement/) |
| Ghana | Coach from November 2014; reached the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final, lost 9–8 on penalties to Ivory Coast; resigned in February 2017[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30230997) • [6](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2017/feb/08/kt.pdf) |
| Zambia | Appointed coach in December 2022 on a two-year deal; departed in November 2025, weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco[7](https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2022/12/22/former-chelsea-manager-grant-named-zambia-coach/46696) • [8](https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2025/11/06/soccer-sichone-takes-over-as-zambia-coach) |
## Early career in Israel
Grant began coaching at 18, joining Hapoel Petah Tikva in 1972 as a youth coach, a role he held for 14 years before becoming first-team coach in 1986.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) He led the club to Toto Cup wins in 1990 and 1991, ending a 25-year trophy drought, and left in 1991.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/)
His most successful Israeli spells followed. At Maccabi Tel Aviv from 1991 to 1995 he won the [Israeli Premier League](https://www.edgepedia.org/israeli-premier-league) in his first season, 1991–92, by a 13-point margin, added the Israeli State Cup in 1994, and won a second league title in 1995.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) After a less successful season at Hapoel Haifa, he returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv from 1997 to 2000, winning only a Toto Cup in 1999.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) At Maccabi Haifa from 2000 to 2002 he won back-to-back league titles in 2000–01 and 2001–02 and the Toto Cup in 2002.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) In total he won four Israeli league titles with the two clubs around the turn of the millennium.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant)
## Israel national team
Grant took over as Israel manager in 2002 and held the post for four years.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant) His side lost just six of 33 matches, and the 2006 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) qualifying campaign ended unbeaten, though Israel failed to reach the playoffs because of an inferior goal-difference record.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant)
## Chelsea, 2007–2008
Grant moved to England in 2006 as technical director of Portsmouth, then joined Chelsea as director of football on 8 July 2007.[1](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/) • [9](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/5721817/avram-grant-factfile) He made an impressive start alongside new assistant coach Henk ten Cate, and the club rewarded him with a four-year contract in December.[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fc6b6-0560a8a4bd58-1000--grant-given-marching-orders-by-chelsea/)
The season brought three near-misses. Chelsea lost the League Cup final 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley and exited the [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) against second-tier Barnsley, but Grant hauled the side back into the title race, finishing the Premier League season second, behind Manchester United on goal difference going into the final match.[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fc6b6-0560a8a4bd58-1000--grant-given-marching-orders-by-chelsea/) In Europe, Chelsea had previously endured three consecutive semi-final defeats; Grant's side beat Liverpool in the last four to reach the club's first Champions League final.[10](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01cd-0e6f5faa9e11-e0b3ee3a4703-1000--final-just-the-beginning-for-grant/) • [3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fc6b6-0560a8a4bd58-1000--grant-given-marching-orders-by-chelsea/)
**The Moscow final.** On 21 May 2008 Chelsea drew 1–1 with Manchester United in Moscow before a crowd of 67,310.[4](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fb224-b09d4d2ab92b-1000--grant-proud-of-chelsea-achievement/) • [11](https://fr.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefa/UEFAMedia/75/74/66/757466_DOWNLOAD.pdf) In the shootout, captain [John Terry](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-terry) slipped as he struck Chelsea's fifth penalty and hit the wrong side of the post; two kicks later [Edwin van der Sar](https://www.edgepedia.org/edwin-van-der-sar) saved from [Nicolas Anelka](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-anelka), giving United their third European title.[4](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fb224-b09d4d2ab92b-1000--grant-proud-of-chelsea-achievement/) Didier Drogba had been sent off in the 116th minute, the second player ever dismissed in a Champions League final.[11](https://fr.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefa/UEFAMedia/75/74/66/757466_DOWNLOAD.pdf) Grant called the defeat hard to take but said he was proud of the season: "Other than the first 30 minutes we dominated the game. We hit the post, we hit the bar, we had many more shots than them, but we lost."[4](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fb224-b09d4d2ab92b-1000--grant-proud-of-chelsea-achievement/)
Chelsea terminated his contract on 24 May 2008, three days after the final, citing the two final defeats and the failure to regain the Premier League title.[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fc6b6-0560a8a4bd58-1000--grant-given-marching-orders-by-chelsea/) UEFA's technical report for the season described him as the "dignified" manager who had led Chelsea to their first final and the chance to add a new page to the club's history.[11](https://fr.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefa/UEFAMedia/75/74/66/757466_DOWNLOAD.pdf) Grant later called reaching the 2008 final one of the proudest moments of his career.[12](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01fd-0e9d29afd140-01138fcc4a5e-1000--moscow-memories-stir-former-chelsea-boss-grant/)
## Portsmouth and West Ham United
Grant returned to [Portsmouth](https://www.edgepedia.org/portsmouth) as director of professional football in October 2009 and became manager the following month.[13](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/avram-grant/profil/trainer/5232) Despite the club's financial difficulties, he guided Portsmouth to the 2010 FA Cup final, which they lost to Chelsea, and then departed for West Ham United.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant)
Appointed West Ham manager in June 2010, he was the club's second non-British manager.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant) The 2010/11 season began with four straight defeats, and although he signed players including [Thomas Hitzlsperger](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-hitzlsperger), Victor Obinna, Pablo Barrera, and [Winston Reid](https://www.edgepedia.org/winston-reid), and brought in [Robbie Keane](https://www.edgepedia.org/robbie-keane) and Wayne Bridge on loan in January 2011, he could not arrest the slide.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant) West Ham did thrash Manchester United 4–0 in the League Cup fifth round before losing the semi-final to Birmingham City in extra time, but the club was relegated with a game to spare, and Grant was sacked after the 3–2 defeat at Wigan Athletic on 15 May 2011.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant) His West Ham record over 47 games was 15 wins, 12 draws, and 20 losses, a win percentage of 31.91.[2](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant)
## Partizan Belgrade and Ghana
Grant spent a season at Partizan Belgrade, whom he guided to a fifth successive Serbian championship in 2012, and also served a season as technical director of the Thai club BEC Tero Sasana.[14](https://premierleague25years.wordpress.com/2019/02/17/the-managers-avram-grant/) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30230997)
In November 2014 the Ghana Football Association appointed him Black Stars coach on a 27-month contract, six weeks before the 2015 [Africa Cup of Nations](https://www.edgepedia.org/africa-cup-of-nations) in [Equatorial Guinea](https://www.edgepedia.org/equatorial-guinea).[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30230997) Ghana reached the final, beating Equatorial Guinea 3–0 in the semi-final, and faced [Ivory Coast](https://www.edgepedia.org/ivory-coast) in Bata.[15](https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cup-of-nations/news/grant-good-to-be-in-the-final) The final ended goalless after 120 minutes, and Ivory Coast won 9–8 on penalties after goalkeeper Boubacar Barry saved from Brimah Razak and scored the decisive kick.[16](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31079315) The defeat meant Grant had now lost two major finals on penalties, after the 2008 Champions League final.[16](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31079315) Asked afterward whether he was cursed, he replied, "I don't believe in those kind of things."[17](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31271441) He remained in charge through the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and resigned after Ghana's semi-final defeat in that tournament.
## Zambia
In December 2022 Grant was unveiled as Zambia coach in Lusaka, signing a two-year deal with the Football Association of Zambia, with the task of leading the country to the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.[7](https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2022/12/22/former-chelsea-manager-grant-named-zambia-coach/46696) He remained in the role into the 2025 qualifying campaign, but his departure was announced in November 2025, only weeks before Zambia's participation in the continental tournament in Morocco; his assistant Moses Sichone was named coach in his place.[8](https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2025/11/06/soccer-sichone-takes-over-as-zambia-coach)
## References
1. [Avraham 'Avram' Grant, Biyografi.bio](https://biyografi.bio/en/avraham-avram-grant/)
2. [Avram Grant, West Ham United FC official history](https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers/avram-grant)
3. [Grant given marching orders by Chelsea, UEFA.com, 24 May 2008](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fc6b6-0560a8a4bd58-1000--grant-given-marching-orders-by-chelsea/)
4. [Grant proud of Chelsea achievement, UEFA.com, 22 May 2008](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0254-0d7bdf4fb224-b09d4d2ab92b-1000--grant-proud-of-chelsea-achievement/)
5. [Ghana: Avram Grant appointed new Black Stars coach, BBC Sport, 27 November 2014](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30230997)
6. [Avram Grant resigns as Ghana manager, Kuwait Times, 8 February 2017](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2017/feb/08/kt.pdf)
7. [Former Chelsea manager Grant named Zambia coach, Malay Mail (Reuters), 22 December 2022](https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2022/12/22/former-chelsea-manager-grant-named-zambia-coach/46696)
8. [Soccer: Sichone takes over as Zambia coach, The Star (Reuters), 6 November 2025](https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2025/11/06/soccer-sichone-takes-over-as-zambia-coach)
9. [Avram Grant factfile, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/5721817/avram-grant-factfile)
10. [Final just the beginning for Grant, UEFA.com, 11 May 2008](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01cd-0e6f5faa9e11-e0b3ee3a4703-1000--final-just-the-beginning-for-grant/)
11. [2007/08 UEFA Champions League technical report, UEFA](https://fr.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefa/UEFAMedia/75/74/66/757466_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
12. [Moscow memories stir former Chelsea boss Grant, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01fd-0e9d29afd140-01138fcc4a5e-1000--moscow-memories-stir-former-chelsea-boss-grant/)
13. [Avram Grant, Manager profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/avram-grant/profil/trainer/5232)
14. [The managers: Avram Grant, Premier League 25 Years archive](https://premierleague25years.wordpress.com/2019/02/17/the-managers-avram-grant/)
15. [Grant: Good to be in the final, CAF Online, 5 February 2015](https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cup-of-nations/news/grant-good-to-be-in-the-final)
16. [Ivory Coast 0-0 Ghana (9-8 on penalties), BBC Sport, 8 February 2015](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31079315)
17. [Afcon 2015: Yaya Toure hails 'unbelievable' Ivory Coast win, BBC Sport, 9 February 2015](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31271441)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Managers and coaches*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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