The Great Chelsea FC Thread
- Thread starter JaarVis.
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KissMyAxe
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fuzztremecho
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great game chelsea...
allow me to salute you guys for pushing United thru BPL and CL
special one left and yet the Blues matched the Red Devils the entire season
thank you Chelsea !!!
allow me to salute you guys for pushing United thru BPL and CL
special one left and yet the Blues matched the Red Devils the entire season
thank you Chelsea !!!
JaarVis.
New member
Grant Sacked
Chelsea have started their search for a new manager after sacking Avram Grant on Saturday.
Grant, who replaced Jose Mourinho last September, was expected to be removed from his post following Chelsea's failure to win a trophy for the first time in three seasons.
The 52-year-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.'
Then manager Mourinho, whose relationship with the board was already fractious, was unhappy with the appointment.
Mourinho was later dismissed after their 1-1 draw with Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge in their opening Champions League game.
Grant, who had never managed a club in England, was asked to takeover and later given a four-year contract.
A close friend of the club's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, Grant's brief reign was tainted by reports of anti-Semitic abuse but remarkably he equalled a nine-match winning run set by Mourinho's side two years earlier.
Grant brought in Henk ten Cate as his assistant as well as new fitness and goalkeeping staff.
But his appointment was never really accepted by the fans, who steadfastly refused to chant his name until the final game of the season, and his sour-faced demeanour did him few favours.
He was also criticised for being tactically inept but guided the club to the final of the Carling Cup in February only to lose 2-1 to Tottenham.
But remarkably, Chelsea pushed Manchester United to the wire in the race for the Premier League and earned a place in their first Champions League final against Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
But his entire spell in charge was littered with speculation that he was just a stop-gap appointment and that he would leave in the summer.
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.
Chelsea have started their search for a new manager after sacking Avram Grant on Saturday.
Grant, who replaced Jose Mourinho last September, was expected to be removed from his post following Chelsea's failure to win a trophy for the first time in three seasons.
The 52-year-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.'
Then manager Mourinho, whose relationship with the board was already fractious, was unhappy with the appointment.
Mourinho was later dismissed after their 1-1 draw with Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge in their opening Champions League game.
Grant, who had never managed a club in England, was asked to takeover and later given a four-year contract.
A close friend of the club's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, Grant's brief reign was tainted by reports of anti-Semitic abuse but remarkably he equalled a nine-match winning run set by Mourinho's side two years earlier.
Grant brought in Henk ten Cate as his assistant as well as new fitness and goalkeeping staff.
But his appointment was never really accepted by the fans, who steadfastly refused to chant his name until the final game of the season, and his sour-faced demeanour did him few favours.
He was also criticised for being tactically inept but guided the club to the final of the Carling Cup in February only to lose 2-1 to Tottenham.
But remarkably, Chelsea pushed Manchester United to the wire in the race for the Premier League and earned a place in their first Champions League final against Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
But his entire spell in charge was littered with speculation that he was just a stop-gap appointment and that he would leave in the summer.
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.
JaarVis.
New member
Chelsea skipper Terry 'haunted' by penalty miss
Chelsea captain John Terry says he will be 'haunted forever' by his Moscow penalty miss that cost the club the chance of winning the Champions League.
Click here
In an open letter to fans on the club's official website published soon after the club terminated the contract of manager Avram Grant, Terry reveals how he has hardly slept since the end of the game and still hopes his penalty miss was a bad dream.
Terry, currently with the England squad, slipped as he went to take what would have been the winning penalty and when Manchester United's Edwin Van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea's dreams were shattered.
Addressing the club's fans, players and employees, Terry wrote: 'I am so sorry for missing the penalty and denying you the fans, my team-mates, family and friends the chance to become European champions.
'Many people have told me I don't need to say that but I feel I need to, that's just me. I have relived that moment every minute since it happened. I have only slept a few hours and wake up every time hoping its all been a bad dream.
'I have had some amazing support from fans, current and ex players, family and friends and I need to thank everyone for that. But I am a big man and I take responsibility for us not winning.
'I am and always will be Chelsea through and through. I will give my all on and off the pitch to win this trophy as a player and one day as a manager. And I am sure we will win it.
'That night in Moscow will haunt me forever and I feel I have let everybody down and this hurts me more than anything. I am not ashamed about crying.
'This is a trophy I have tried so hard year after year to win and it was just an uncontrollable reaction, I wear my heart on my sleeve, everybody knows that.
'The road to Rome starts here, we have to try and turn this experience to our advantage. I am very proud of how far we have come this season with everything that has gone on. Thank you for all your support for the season.'
The Blues confirmed Grant long-predicted dismissal earlier in the day after two days of meetings and will now begin the search for his successor.
Chelsea captain John Terry says he will be 'haunted forever' by his Moscow penalty miss that cost the club the chance of winning the Champions League.
Click here
In an open letter to fans on the club's official website published soon after the club terminated the contract of manager Avram Grant, Terry reveals how he has hardly slept since the end of the game and still hopes his penalty miss was a bad dream.
Terry, currently with the England squad, slipped as he went to take what would have been the winning penalty and when Manchester United's Edwin Van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea's dreams were shattered.
Addressing the club's fans, players and employees, Terry wrote: 'I am so sorry for missing the penalty and denying you the fans, my team-mates, family and friends the chance to become European champions.
'Many people have told me I don't need to say that but I feel I need to, that's just me. I have relived that moment every minute since it happened. I have only slept a few hours and wake up every time hoping its all been a bad dream.
'I have had some amazing support from fans, current and ex players, family and friends and I need to thank everyone for that. But I am a big man and I take responsibility for us not winning.
'I am and always will be Chelsea through and through. I will give my all on and off the pitch to win this trophy as a player and one day as a manager. And I am sure we will win it.
'That night in Moscow will haunt me forever and I feel I have let everybody down and this hurts me more than anything. I am not ashamed about crying.
'This is a trophy I have tried so hard year after year to win and it was just an uncontrollable reaction, I wear my heart on my sleeve, everybody knows that.
'The road to Rome starts here, we have to try and turn this experience to our advantage. I am very proud of how far we have come this season with everything that has gone on. Thank you for all your support for the season.'
The Blues confirmed Grant long-predicted dismissal earlier in the day after two days of meetings and will now begin the search for his successor.
