Chelsea Fire Avram Grant

Just days after their heartbreaking loss in the Champions League Final to Manchester United, Chelsea have fired coach Avram Grant.  The coach has been under intense scrutiny and pressure frolm the day he was hired to replace the famed Jose Mourinho.

The 52 yr old Israeli found it hard to come to terms with being thrust into the spotlight and although he guided Chelsea into their first Champions League final, the penalty shoot-out defeat in Moscow last Wednesday paved the way for his departure.

After two days of meetings, Chelsea confirmed their decision in a statement.   It read: 'Chelsea can confirm that Avram Grant has had his contract as manager terminated today. 'This follows meetings over the last two days. Everybody at Chelsea FC would like to thank Avram for his contribution since taking over as manager last September.  We will now be concentrating all our efforts on identifying a new manager for Chelsea and there will be no further comment until that appointment is made.' Grant joined the club last summer from Portsmouth to take up the post of director of football.'

Chelsea consistently denied they had plans to change their manager but the deafening silence from the club's board after Wednesday's defeat by United, told its own story.   Both chief-executive Peter Kenyon and chairman Bruce Buck paved the way for change by insisting that Chelsea's performance this season was simply 'not good enough'.

Buck said: 'We have very high expectations at Chelsea and a couple of second place finishes is just not good enough for us - so although we never would have thought in September when Jose Mourinho left that we would be able to make it into a Champions League Final as we did - and that is fantastic - Chelsea are here to win trophies. So although it was an excellent season, we are still disappointed.'

A series of discussions finally resolved Grant's future and it is understood the Israeli said his farewells to the players on Friday - telling them it had been a 'privilege' to manage the team.