Chelsea look to distance themselves from Grant race-hate reports

CHELSEA have distanced themselves from reports suggesting coach Avram Grant is at the centre of a race-hate campaign.

The Blues also pledged to fight all forms of discrimination and prejudice and take action against anyone found guilty of making racist threats.

Grant has been the target for abuse this season, with white powder (which proved harmless) being sent to the club’s training ground.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck also accused some of the club’s fans of sending racist abuse after Grant replaced Jose Mourinho as manager at Stamford Bridge last September.

Chelsea’s decision to replace the self-styled “Special One” with the 52-year-old Israeli spawned a number of anti-Semitic comments which Buck insisted were unacceptable.

But the subject was pushed into the spotlight again yesterday when Grant’s agent and friend, Pini Zahavi, claimed the Chelsea boss was the victim of an anti-Semitism campaign.

However, a statement on the club’s website said: “We would like to officially distance ourselves from comments in the media regarding the reasons behind any criticism Avram Grant may or may not have received since he became our manager in September.

“Chelsea is totally committed to fighting all forms of discrimination and prejudice and will act in the strongest possible way, given the evidence, against anyone who uses anti-Semitism or any other form of discrimination.

“Our manager has conducted himself with great dignity and respect in his role as Chelsea manager. Last week he made a moving speech at Auschwitz on Holocaust Remembrance Day. In it he promoted the power of sport in bringing all people together regardless of race and religion and its ability to break down barriers. That is a sentiment Chelsea agrees with entirely.”

Zahavi, one of richest and most influential agents in the game, is also an Israeli Jew. He has known Grant for over 20 years and helped broker the sale of Chelsea to owner Roman Abramovich five years ago.

“There are no words to describe the mistreatment Avram is receiving,” Zahavi told Israeli daily newspaper Ma’ariv.

“They are sucking his blood on a daily basis regardless of his victories and what he achieves.

“You know what, maybe if he hadn’t been Israeli or Jewish it might have been different.

“Obviously there is some sort of anti-Semitism here, especially if one remembers who appointed him. Abramovich is not only Jewish but also Russian and Jewish. So the Chelsea fans love him, but the rest of the fans in England certainly don’t.”

Zahavi’s comments come at a potentially distracting time ahead of Chelsea’s final match of the season against Bolton on Sunday.

The Blues have to better Manchester United’s result against Wigan to win the Barclays Premier League title.

The players are gearing themselves for an emotional afternoon at Stamford Bridge and goalkeeper Petr Cech is expecting it to be full of tension.

“It is 90 minutes of emotion, we know we need to win and hope Manchester United slip,” said Cech. “It will be exciting for everyone, I am sure people will have pocket radios listening to the other game.

“We still believe. Sometimes you have to go through all the bad things to get something positive in the end.”