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Mourinho in shock resignation

AFP, LONDON and PARIS

Chelsea yesterday put former Israel coach Avram Grant in charge of their first team as English soccer reeled at Jose Mourinho's shock departure from Stamford Bridge.

Grant, previously the director of football at Stamford Bridge, will take charge along with Mourinho's former assistant Steve Clarke.

It was not clear if Grant, a close friend of Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich, would be given the manager's job on a long-term basis.

But the Israeli will be in charge when Chelsea face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The 51-year-old's promotion came hours after Mourinho's trophy-laden three-year reign at Stamford Bridge ended with the announcement that he was leaving the club "by mutual consent."

The self-described "special one" paid a brief visit to the club's state-of-the-art training complex to the west of London yesterday morning to say his goodbyes to the players he guided to five trophies in three seasons, before driving away for the last time.

Mourinho's time in charge ended in the early hours of yesterday morning, his fractious relationship with Abramovich having finally reached breaking point over the manager's failure to deliver the kind of flamboyant soccer craved by the Russian billionaire.

Manchester United's stylish reclamation of the Premier League title last season increased Abramovich's disillusionment with Mourinho's pragmatic approach and Tuesday's disappointing 1-1 Champions League draw with Norwegian side Rosenberg -- watched by fewer than 25,000 fans -- proved to be the final straw.

With hindsight, Mourinho's pre-match comments about the need to buy the best eggs to make the best omelette -- a clear dig at Abramovich's transfer policy -- were a clear signal that simmering tensions behind the scenes were about to boil over.

With both sides keeping quiet on the precise nature of the dispute that triggered the final meltdown in relations, negotiations over compensation for the remaining three years on Mourinho's ?5 million-a-year (US$10 million) contract were continuing.

Scolari banned for four matches

Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, coach of the Portuguese national side, has been banned for four matches by UEFA after a violent altercation with Serbian player Ivica Dragutinovic last week.

Scolari and Dragutinovic were caught up in a pitch-side flare-up during a hot-tempered Euro 2008 qualifier between the two sides on Sept. 12, which led to Scolari lashing out at the Serbian with his fist.

The ban will rule Scolari out of being on the touchline for Portugal's remaining four qualifiers.

Dragutinovic has meanwhile been handed a two-match ban by UEFA.
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