Avram Grant returns to Portsmouth

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has returned to the Premier League as director of football at struggling Portsmouth - the club where he worked as technical director before his move to London for his controversial stint as Jose Mourinho's successor.
 
The move caps a tempestuous few months for Pompey. Ownership of the south coast club has changed twice since the start of the season, the players and staff were not paid on time at the start of the month and the team lies bottom of the table after losing its first seven games of the season - a Premier League record.
 
Grant's return to Fratton Park comes in the same week as billionaire Saudi businessman Ali al-Faraj completed his buy-out of the club. He has taken over at the helm from Abu Dhabi-based businessman Sulaiman al-Fahim, who handed over 90 per cent of the club just six weeks after buying it.
 
Al-Faraj's first actions were to secure the immediate future of the club by releasing funds to pay the staff. Now he appears to be looking towards the future by hiring Grant as director of football. He will work with manager Paul Hart to attempt to extricate Portsmouth from their predicament at the foot of the table.
 
The Arab businessman's decision to task the former boss of the Israeli national team with overseeing the salvation of his club could lead to raised eyebrows in some quarters, but reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the Premier League.
 
The 54-year-old Israeli was technical director at Portsmouth from June 2006 to July 2007, before leaving to become director of football at Chelsea. He was the surprise choice to replace Mourinho later that year, and led Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final but was then sacked. It is expected that Grant will work with Hart on player recruitment.
 
Portsmouth old-hand David James, who was at the club during Grant's first stint, welcomed the appointment. "I love Avram," he said. "He's a great guy. It's a good move." ·