Avram Grant Launches Scathing Parting Shot at Chelsea As Board Wars Rage

Former Chelsea boss and all-round charisma vacuum Avram Grant has launched into a tirade at his former employers, criticizing the club for its unrealistic ambitions and boardroom squabbles that he claims are hampering Chelsea's progress.

Grant told a national British newspaper that the ongoing rows off the pitch have damaged team morale to the point that it was hindering the ambitions of the Stamford Bridge outfit.

"When I took over, we set ourselves targets that seemed crazy at the time" he said to The Sun.

"The club is overshadowed with constant wars as part of its strategy. The coach fights with the owner through the papers, fights with other clubs and other managers"

Avram Grant was fired in acrimonious circumstances, with the club taking a huge financial hit to rid themselves of a manager they tied to a four-year deal over the winter.

Following him out the back door was ex-Ajax man Henk ten Cate, the coach who not days before was assured his job was still safe by Peter Kenyon.

Supporters will be intrigued to see the ideas brought forward by the new regime, and whether the coaching staff will get on with Roman Abramovich's plans any better than the Israeli, who will no doubt be comforted by his vast payoff signed off by Chelsea.

Names being strongly linked with the club's hot seat are newly-available pair Frank Rijkaard and Roberto Mancini, both of whom managed sides who fell to a Premier League club in this year's Champions' League.

Rijkaard would surely provide the injection of flair that Abramovich so desires, with Mancini's treble of Scudetto titles titillating for the trophy-chasing Russian. However, if either of these men fail to live up to the targets set by the Russian billionaire, we may well be reading a similar story this time next year.