FACTBOX-Chelsea coach Avram Grant

(Reuters) - Factbox on Avram Grant who was sacked as manager of English Premier League club Chelsea on Saturday.

Born: May 6 1955, in Petah Tikva, Israel

* After a promising career as a young coach with his home club Hapoel Petah Tikva in the 1970s and early '80s, Grant is earmarked for bigger things with Israel's major clubs. Coaches Maccabi Tel Aviv twice (1991-95 and 1997-2000) and Maccabi Haifa (2000-2002) with whom he won league and cup titles.

* Appointed Israel coach in May 2002 after the resignation of Dane Richard Moeller Nielsen, a position he holds until his departure in 2006. Following a disappointing Euro 2004, Israel just miss a playoff spot for the 2006 World Cup finals, finishing unbeaten in a group behind France and Switzerland.

* Befriends Roman Abramovich during meetings in Tel Aviv in the spring of 2006 when he is expected to take up the role of coach of Hapoel Tel Aviv, which is designated to become a feeder club for Chelsea. The deal by Abramovich's friend Levi Leviev to buy Hapoel falls through and Grant moves to England.

* Appointed technical director of Portsmouth in July 2006, the club partly owned by Alexandre Gaydamak, the son of Russian-born billionaire Arkady Gaydamak, the high-profile owner of Israeli league champions Beitar Jerusalem.

* Leaves Portsmouth to take up the position of director of football at Chelsea, where he reportedly becomes the closest confidant on football matters with Abramovich.

* Takes charge of Chelsea's first team in September 2007 alongside Steve Clarke, replacing Jose Mourinho.

* Leads Chelsea into League Cup final where his tactics are heavily criticised by the British media after a 2-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur following extra time on February 24.