Avram Grant joins Greek club Aris as management advisor

Avram Grant, a highly respected and experienced Israeli football coach, has taken on a new role as management advisor for Greek club PAE Aris. This appointment signals an effort to elevate the "yellow-blacks" across all levels of the organization.

Grant's career, which began in Israel and culminated in a UEFA Champions League final appearance, has established him on the international stage. He is transitioning from coaching to a management position, similar to his previous role as technical director at Chelsea.

Born in Petah Tikva, Israel, Grant has a career marked by successes, challenges, and criticism. He started his coaching journey in 1972 with Hapoel Petah Tikva's youth teams and rose to become one of Israel's top coaches by the early 2000s, winning four Israeli league titles with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa.

His success led him to manage the Israeli national team from 2002 to 2006. He then moved to England in 2007 to join Chelsea as technical director, maintaining a close relationship with owner Roman Abramovich. After José Mourinho's departure, Grant was promoted to head coach, guiding Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final, where they lost to Manchester United on penalties. Despite a strong season, the lack of a title led to his departure.

Grant also managed Portsmouth, reaching the FA Cup final in 2010, and West Ham before taking charge of Partizan Belgrade in January 2012. During his time in Serbia, a friendly match against Iran's Sepahan was canceled because Iranian authorities prohibited their team from playing against a club with an Israeli coach, highlighting the off-field challenges he has navigated.