[ 2014-12-05 ]

Coach Avram Grant's first official interview
Avram Grant says he is excited to land the Ghana
job, adding that the opportunity to lead the Black
Stars made him turn down many offers.

The former Chelsea manager became the 32nd head
coach of the Black Stars after agreeing a deal
with the Ghana Football Association.

Moments after meeting the Black Stars management
team on his first day at work, Grant sat down with
Ghanafa.org to outline why he's thrilled by the
chance to take up the job and his expectations.



Welcome to Ghana, coach

Thank you

What does it mean to you to be handed the coaching
job of Ghana?

I think it is a very exciting and challenging job
because there is a big potential in this country
and this country loves football very much. So when
people come to me and say are you ready to coach
Ghana I say yes because I love challenges
especially a challenge like this.

This is your first time coaching on the African
continent and most of your work has been in
Europe. What do you think is the difference
compared to your previous work in Europe?

Football is same everywhere, in every competition
you want to win. I follow the African Cup (AFCON)
because I had players in the teams that I coached
who played in the competition; an example is
Michael Essien who plays for Ghana. So I know what
the African competition entails and football is
football and I want to win games and I need to
look out for the opponents that we will play
against. But I have to concentrate on our quality
to win games. The last four competitions of the
AFCON I have had players playing in them.

There have been many vacancies in other African
countries, but you never applied for them. Why
Ghana?

Because I think there is a big potential here. You
saw even at the world cup, though the results
weren’t good you could see the potential is
here. I am also was looking at the young national
team (Black Satellites). Every time I go into a
team I like to make a process in the team. And I
was looking at the young national team, they won
the world cup a few years ago and they are always
doing well. So it means if we make the right
process the black stars will not only be good now
but it will be also be good for the future.

You’ve said so many good things about African
football and about Ghana football in particular.
Do you think the potentials in Ghana will make the
job easier? And is that the reason you chose
Ghana?

Yes, I think when you choose a team with potential
it can be in a easy not just this national team
but there is the U-20 and the U-17. So for me
it’s very exciting to develop these potentials
to prepare them to win major competitions. For me
it’s possible that an African country especially
Ghana with the hundreds of players in Europe to
make it into the final stages of the World Cup.

As you just said Ghana has a lot of players in
Europe, will bringing all these players together
to get a formidable national team be difficult?

Yes but this is the job. In football there is no
easy job because you need to take the players and
put them together to form a team. And this is my
job and this is why I love the job. Because you
are dealing with individuals and still its team
work so I need to get the best of the individuals
but still they must remember that it is team work
and the team is more important than anybody.

Talking about the wide pool of players in Europe,
does your arrival serve as new beginnings for all
Ghanaian players?

This is my target I think when you are going into
a new situation you don’t need to look at the
past, you need to learn from the past not to look
at the past, even my father always said this to
me. So I think you I need to look for a new
beginnings but to see the good things and the bad
things from the past and learn the things that we
can do better with a white page.

So basically you are telling every Ghanaian
everywhere that the door is open for everyone?

It’s open for every player that is willing to
give everything for his country and to understand
that with all the developments in football, money
etc the main competition is with the national
teams. Any player that will be proud to wear the
national jersey and give all his passion to the
team and have the quality of course, the doors of
the Black Stars will be open to him.

What are your key requirements for selecting a
player into the national team?

There are three things. First is talent, second is
to be proud to wear the national colours and third
is a good mentality and a positive attitude.

Apart from these three requirements what else will
get a player into the national team? Discipline
has become a problem in many national teams. What
does it mean to you?

It’s not a criteria it is part of life. I will
not choose a player just because he is discipline
but the players that will not be discipline cannot
be in the team because it’s team work. It’s a
way of life so I will be discipline and they will
have to be discipline too.

It was a tight competition before the GFA settled
on you. Shows they have a lot of confidence in
you. What do you bring on board?

First I want to thank them for the opportunity to
come here and also because it was my target. As
you know I had other offers but I wanted to come
be here in this country. It was a long process
with interviews etc. I've never faced a process
like this but it means they are serious people and
they learn from the past and want to do a good
job. So I will try to bring all my experience and
all I've learnt in football on board. Am more than
40 years as a coach and not many coaches have been
coaches for that long. I was in the academy,
national team, I was in good teams, I was in big
teams so I've experience and experience is good to
bring to the table. So I will give that to the
country and am sure the results will be good.

A lot of expatriate coaches in Africa have been
criticized for their lack of commitment to stay in
the country they work. This being your first time
in Africa how committed are you to stay here as
national team coach and even help improve our
local league?

I've been in Africa many times but not as a coach
and I've also been here with my family so I know
the way of life of the people. It's very simple,
every club that I work in, I feel a part of it. If
you look at my past I stay in connection with
everyone at the clubs that I worked in. So when I
come I have to do everything that is good. I don't
believe if I stay in Europe all the time I can do
a good job. The base will be here because I want
to feel the atmosphere and I want to be with the
people. It will be a mix but I will do the best
for Ghana but not from only Europe. My base will
be here.

A lot of Ghanaian players made it from the local
league. How prepared are you to unearth talents in
the Ghanaian league?

The door is opened for everybody so if they are
talented I will take them. I will watch the league
games here and I will have a system of scouting
players here and the doors are not only opened to
big name players. It is open for players who are
yet to make names and if they are good I will be
happy to take them.

Looking back at your career you are credited as
someone who gives young players opportunities and
someone who also relies on experience. To what
extent will rely on experienced and young
players?

I think balance is very important for the team.
The ideal thing is to have experienced players who
are very positive for the team and have young
players with passion and big qualities. This is
the ideal thing so this is what I try to do
everywhere but sometimes you don't have it. But
any young player that has potential will have his
chance. Any young player who proves himself will
get his chance. Also any experienced player that
really has the hunger to give everything to the
team, the door is opened. But with all due
respect, I don't think the team will be about old
players. I want experienced players but I also
want young players who will be ready to give
everything to the team. The average age of the
Ghana team now is good.

Ghana has not won the AFCON in over three decades.
Though the GFA has not tasked you to win next
year's AFCON, the public, the media and many
people believe that with your experience, your
arrival must get Ghana the trophy. Are you under
pressure to win the trophy for Ghana?

To be a coach pressure is a very key word and I
like it because life in football without pressure
is not normal. Pressure pushes you to do your
best. I know people say I don't know the team very
well and it is true but with time I will know the
team better. When we go to the tournament, as a
coach I will want to win games and who knows,
everything is possible.

The FA says it expects you to do well at the 2015
AFCON. What is your personal target?

My personal target is that we have a contract till
after the next AFCON (2017) so I will do things
for the present and the future like I did
everywhere I was. So when we go to the AFCON we
will do our best for now and for the future.

You have extensive experience in coaching apart
from the impact you want to have with the National
team, what contribution will you make to the
development of coaching in Ghana?

We spoke about this that I will also help and
advice on the direction of the other national
teams and we will try to have courses at least
once a year for young coaches to show them what
they can do to make their work better. I will help
out with this and I tell you I will be happy to do
it. One of the things that I will be happy apart
from winning matches will be to see to the
development of the people who will take care of
these young players. Because as I always say good
teachers bring out good students so good coaches
will bring out good players.

When your time is up and you eventually leave what
legacy do you want to leave in Ghana?

First I want that we will do well and also I will
want that there will be a structure to help Ghana
to develop players to ensure continuity. Like you
see in big teams like Germany where they do well
in one tournament and do well in the next one. But
you cannot do this just by pushing a button. You
need a structure; you need to have a good backroom
staff and many things that will help develop the
talents in this country.

Some have expressed the fear that you may not see
through your contract, citing your departure from
Partizan Belgrade after winning the league with
them. Will you leave Ghana if you win the African
Cup?

No I didn't come for this African cup. My target
is at least to stay even after the world cup. But
for now we have a two year contract. About Serbia,
I went there for a half a year. To win the league
and build a team for the future and that's what I
did before I left. So it's not like I left before
my contract ended.

One issue that has arisen after your appointment
is your nationality and the difficulty you may
face in travelling to certain countries. Can you
allay the fears of Ghanaians who have such
concerns?

Am not a politician, I am a sportsman and I have
been invited to deliver lectures in most of these
countries that people say I can't travel to. I
will not want to speak about this issue because am
a sports man and am proud of my nationality, am
proud to be here in Ghana now. I will be proud to
visit any country for football because football is
an international language. So this is an issue for
the politicians and everything will be okay.

Finally what message do you have for passionate
Ghanaian fans who want the national team to do
well?

I can guarantee only one thing that I will do my
best to do well with this team. I will do my best
to make sure players and staffs do their best for
the country.

Source - Ghana FA

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