Grant ready to walk away: Chelsea's boss may jump ship
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Grant ready to walk away: Chelsea's boss may jump ship even if his team do pull off historic double
Avram Grant, whose reign as Chelsea manager has been dogged by uncertainty over his long-term future, may leave on his own terms at the end of the season.
As his team prepare for their two-game tilt at history, Grant refuses to discuss his plans in any detail beyond reiterating that he has a four-year contract and he is happy at the club.
But Eyal Lachman, one of his closest friends, believes Grant may take control of his own destiny, regardless of whether he snatches the Premier League title from Manchester United today and defeats the same opponents in the Champions League final in Moscow in 10 days' time.
Lachman, head coach at Ghana's Hearts of Oak and linked to a role at Stamford Bridge under Grant, said: 'I won't be surprised at all if Avram leaves Chelsea at the end of the season. 'We are good friends and when we speak it is about football. Avram is a man of decision, as we can learn from the past.'
This is a clear reference to Grant's resignations from Hapoel Petach Tikva and Maccabi Haifa before the end of his contract, and Chelsea's late-season surge to the brink of the double has not only strengthened his position within the club but also boosted his credentials outside it.
His pronouncements have grown more confident and playful and there is a sense that he feels he has done everything asked of him by taking Chelsea to their first Champions League final and developing a more entertaining playing style.
Suggestions that Chelsea's squad of experienced internationals have done it all themselves, without much input from him, draw the observation that similar would have to be said of the club's success under Jose Mourinho, because the same players formed the core of his team.
But when asked if he could state once and for all that he would still be in charge of the club's first team at the start of next season, Grant returns to serious mode.
He said: 'I think any manager who said that would not be right.
'Sometimes the club don't want you, sometimes the manager is not happy with the club.
'I know what my situation is. I am doing all the preparation for next year. I can't answer your question because it doesn't depend on me.
'You can judge my job on what I achieve. But I will not answer questions today about my personal future.'
As with all major decisions at Chelsea, it will be down to owner Roman Abramovich.
But Grant would, arguably, be entitled to be upset if moved upstairs or out of the club altogether whatever occurs today and on May 21, and, according to Lachman at least, might take matters into this own hands even if he won both trophies.
Grant, who dismissed an Israeli journalist's request to respond to Lachman's comments, is happier to talk about his previous experience of a title race which went to the final day.
'In 1995, we took the championship in the last game with Maccabi Tel Aviv,' he said. 'It was different because it depended on us. We needed to win, a draw was not enough, and we won.
'It is the same in any country when you fight for first place. You do what you have to do and then look at others.'
Victory over Bolton, of course, will not be enough if United triumph at Wigan, and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele admits United are favourites.
But upsetting the odds would make a third Premier League title with Chelsea the sweetest of all for the veteran France midfielder.
Makelele said: 'We rely on United stumbling at Wigan and that would perhaps be the best title I've won since coming to Chelsea. To lose the championship on goal difference would be painful.
'After Mourinho's departure, people wrote off our season. But we have shown our courage. Chelsea are always in the fight.'