Give Robbie job, Grant tells Roman
FORMER Chelsea manager Avram Grant has urged Blues owner Roman Abramovich to hand interim boss Roberto di Matteo the job on a permanent basis, after the Italian led them to the Champions League final.
But Grant admits even reaching the most prestigious match in club football might not be enough for Abramovich, as the Israeli found to his cost when he was sacked despite reaching the 2008 final.
“Roberto deserves one more year, at least, because he has done a good job with this team,” said Grant, now in charge at Partizan Belgrade. “To come to the final with this team is unbelievable.”
Momentum is with ex-West Brom and MK Dons manager Di Matteo, who is now odds-on to be Chelsea’s next permanent appointment, but Grant, a former confidant of Abramovich, knows the Russian can be single-minded.
“Abramovich sometimes thinks different,” he added. “In my time we came to the first [Champions League] final in the history of the club. We also played unbelievable football in the [Premier] League, beating all the big teams. But then he decided that I would not continue.”
Di Matteo has won 10 and drawn four of 15 games since taking over from the sacked Andre Villas-Boas in March.