Wife: ‘Angry? Avram should be getting a massage every day’

THE wife of beleaguered Portsmouth coach Avram Grant has launched an astonishing defence of his behaviour after he was outed as the Premier League boss who visited a brothel last December.

Tzofit Grant, who is a TV presenter in Israel, insisted she was only concerned that her husband had not been getting enough massages given the pressure he is under at the top-flight’s bottom club – taken over for the fourth time this season yesterday.

Grant was photographed leaving a Thai massage parlour on an industrial unit in Horton Heath, near the Portsmouth training-ground, on December 18. Police sources this week confirmed they were pursuing an active investigation into the brothel, with a view to the prosecution of anyone alleged to be living off immoral earnings.

But Tzofit told Israel’s army radio station Galei Tzalhal that there was nothing suspicious about her husband’s trip there.

“He went in broad daylight in the middle of the day and he walked in there with a Portsmouth tracksuit and came out of there smiling, because he has nothing to hide,” she said.

“Do you think he would have done that if it was a brothel? It hasn’t been proven anywhere that this was a brothel.”

Tzofit explained how she received a call from Avram on Thursday morning warning of the story about to break, which was only published after Mr Justice Tugendhat’s revoked the injunction granted to John Terry blocking the reporting of his extra-marital affair.

“He phoned me to warn me of the publication in England and I said, ‘Yes, and? Are you anyone’s property? You don’t owe me any answers, let alone someone else. And why would anyone be interested in that, don’t waste your time or money on lawyers, donate that money to a charity. You’re not public property.’

“It’s rubbish that this can harm him, it makes me laugh. He hasn’t harmed anyone.”

Tzofit, however, did have some harsh words for Grant in their most recent conversation.

She said: “I swear to you that I’m not cross with him. And if I am, it’s not about this nonsense. I’m only cross with him about one thing, and I’ve told him that: that he doesn’t go for a massage every day.

“He’s the Portsmouth manager and it’s a tough job. He should start every morning and end every day with a massage. Just look at the strain and the pressure he is under. He needs someone to really lay into him. Avram is a great manager with great potential who is stuck with a lousy team.”

Portsmouth are now five points adrift at the bottom of the table after Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat to Fulham, while on Thursday Balram Chainrai seized ownership of the club from Ali al-Faraj.

The club have failed to pay their players on time on four occasions this season, and they are due in court next week to appeal a winding-up petition served on the club by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, which, if unsuccessful, could send the club into administration.

“Avram is not my property, and to those who ask me if I am hurt by this, I reply, ‘How can I be harmed by a massage?’ Avram works so hard. As far, as I’m concerned he needs a massage once a day – and maybe more.”