Sports News of Friday, 10 March 2017
Source: starrsportsgh.com
2017-03-10
Grant says it wasn’t obligatory for him to stay in Ghana
Former Black Stars coach Avram Grant says he would not have accepted the job if his contract had explicitly demanded he stayed in Ghana.
“They cannot ask me this [stay in Ghana], if they would ask me, I wouldn’t do it. The GFA asked me to do my best for the Black Stars and also try to help [locally] which I tried very much,” the Israeli stated
Grant’s two-year tenure as coach of the senior national team was inundated with constant complaints of giving little attention to the local game as he mostly stayed in Europe to scout players.
“How can I do it if the players are playing abroad before I came?
“I went the extra mile for the national team of Ghana much better than I did before for a club. Coaching a national team is not easy.
“I didn’t go to Ghana as a tourist, stay in the country and spend a good time. I could stay in the country, spend a good time and during the weekend, I go and watch a local league.
“But when I’m in Europe, I need to fly every two days to see a player. The best and experienced players for the national team are all based abroad,” Grant explained.
Grant however believes standards in the local league must be improved significantly to be able to church out and retain players who match up to their counterparts outside the country.
Meanwhile, they Ghana FA say they are guided by the lessons from the experience with Grant in their next appointment.
