Avram Grant: Roman Abramovich blamed me for John Terry's Champions League howler

15 December 2009 21:47
Close but no cigar: Grant trudges past the Champions League trophy in 2008[LNB]Avram Grant revealed he thinks he was harshly treated by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.[LNB]His admission has come as Grant's new club, bottom-placed Portsmouth, face leaders Chelsea on Wednesday. [LNB]Grant is returning to Chelsea for the first time since he was sacked three days after the club lost the 2008 Champions League final to bitter rivals Manchester United.[LNB]'Roman Abramovich said it was my fault that John Terry missed the penalty,' said Grant, 'and that we had not started the season so well. I was not there at the start of the season, but it is the job of a manager to be guilty.'[LNB]He believes he deserves credit for the way he handled his time with Abramovich's millionaire princes. 'I have no point to prove,' said Grant. 'I was very close. The Champions League final went to the last kick. I can only be proud of what we did at Chelsea.[LNB] Banana skin: Terry slips at the vital moment in the penalty shootout[LNB]'It was one of the best seasons for the club and we were very close to winning the Champions League for the first time in the club's history. Sometimes it takes time to build a team.[LNB]'It took Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson more than a year to put their influence on the players at their clubs. We did it in a very short space of time and I am proud.'[LNB]Chelsea are having a wobble going into Wednesday's game but manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that his team will stop conceding set-piece goals.[LNB]He gave his support to under-pressure goalkeeper Petr Cech by saying: 'I think Petr is at the same level as Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas.'[LNB] Didier Drogba injury rocks Chelsea after star striker is crocked in trainingALL THE MIDWEEK BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM NEWSVIDEO: Carlo Ancelotti insists Chelsea must wipe out their defensive errorsALL THE PORTSMOUTH FC

Source: Daily_Mail