Reveal: Grant is the soccer boss caught visiting brothel
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Portsmouth in fresh turmoil after Avram Grant named over 'brothel' visit
Troubled Portsmouth have been hit by a triple whammy in the past 24 hours as it was revealed that their manager, Avram Grant, was the Premier League manager seen visiting a massage parlour in December.
It was then announced this morning that the South Coast club had a fourth owner in a year, following the takeover by Balram Chainrai, a Hong Kong businessman.
On the pitch, matters are not much better as Portsmouth lost 1-0 to Fulham last night, leaving them stranded at the foot of the table, seven points from safety.
The revelations about Grant could cause further destabilisation at a club that has been in turmoil for the past 12 months.
Police have launched an investigation into the premises, which is a short drive from Portsmouth’s training ground, housed in an industrial unit in the village of Horton Heath.
“We are aware of certain allegations that have been made in connection with that location," a police spokesman said. "There is nothing to evidence the allegations at the moment."
It is understood that Grant spent about an hour inside the premises on the afternoon of December 18 before he was confronted by a reporter as he left.
Mystery man revealed : Grant
Privacy laws have prevented the press from revealing the identity of the football manager who visited a brothel in Dec.
Last year, The Sun newspaper reported that a Premier League manager had been caught visiting a “brothel", but said it was prevented from naming him or revealing the location by “creeping privacy laws”. However, a landmark ruling by Mr Justice Tugendhat last week swung the pendulum back in favour of freedom of speech, when he revoked an injunction granted to John Terry, the Chelsea and England captain, which had blocked reporting of his extra-marital affair.
Mr Justice Tugendhat commented that while “freedom to live as one chooses” was a valuable principle, “so is the freedom to criticise - within the limits of the law - the conduct of other members of society as being socially harmful or wrong”.
The fresh controversy came after Portsmouth’s financial situation took another dramatic twist when the club confirmed Chainrai has bought Ali al-Faraj’s 90 per cent stake in the club.
If the Hong Kong businessman passes the Premier League's fit and proper persons test, he will become the fourth owner at Fratton Park this season, following Sacha Gaydamak, Sulaiman al-Fahim and al-Faraj.
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hahahahahaahahahahahahahaha
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understand. old guys always want some fresh young blood =d
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Couldn't have guessed it was him hahaha!
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Avram Grant's wife defends her Pompey boss husband over brothel visit, saying: 'He can do whatever he likes with his body'
Avram Grant, pictured with wife Tzofit in 2004, may be questioned by police after he was photographed leaving a 'massage parlour'
The wife of Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has hit back at allegations her husband was caught in a 'Thai' brothel by claiming: 'He can do whatever he likes with his body.'
Former Chelsea boss Grant, 54, whose Pompey side crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Fulham last night, may be quizzed by police in connection with an alleged visit to a seedy 'massage parlour' they are investigating.
Grant's TV presenter wife, Tzofit, today denied Grant paid for sex and claimed he was simply looking for a relaxing massage.
The 45-year-old told Israeli sports newspaper 1One: 'Avram is a private man and can do whatever he wants. 'Avram went in public, in the middle of the day to have a Thai massage, not to a brothel. 'He went to have a massage in the official uniform of Portsmouth. He came out happy and smiling and does not have anything to hide. 'I do not understand why people think they can invade our private lives.
'Avram can do whatever he wants and the only anger I have is that he does not go to have a Thai massage every day. 'The truth is that if Avram wanted to go to a brothel, it is his right. He can do whatever he likes with his body. 'We are very famous people but we can do what we want in our free time.'
Grant, who finds himself answering to yet another new owner at Portsmouth after Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai seized control of the club last night, spent an hour at the dingy massage parlour, named 'FuFu's'.
The massage parlour not far from Portsmouth's training ground which Grant was spotted leaving
The parlour was fitted with a large multi-person whirlpool bath and wooden sauna
The brothel was located an industrial estate, in the village of Horton Heath, four miles from Portsmouth's training ground in Eastleigh, Hampshire, on December 18.
Asian working girls charged £130 an hour for full intercourse before it was shut down three days ago. When he emerged wearing his club tracksuit, emblazoned with his initials 'AG', Grant was asked by a reporter if he knew it was a brothel.
He smiled and replied 'yes' before getting into a chauffeur driven car. UK privacy laws prevented his identity being revealed until this week in the wake of John Terry's failed bid to gag the press from revealing his affair with Vanessa Perroncel.
Father-of-two Grant's name has had over 10,000 mentions on internet websites in connection with the vice den. Grant has been married to Tzofit for the past 16 years, although he lives alone in an apartment in posh St John's Wood, central London, while she loves with their children aged 12 and 15, in Tel Aviv.Sources in Israel claim the couple have an 'open relationshp'. Hampshire Police have confirmed they are investigating the parlour. Grant is set to be questioned by vice squad officers as a witness if their enquiry results in anyone being charged with living off immoral earnings.
Smells like trouble: Portsmouth boss Avram Grant makes his way to the dug-out at Craven Cottage
A police spokesman said: 'We are aware of certain allegations that have been made in connection with that location. There is nothing to evidence the allegations at the moment.'
The brothel is listed on escort website 'Punternet'. Reviews say it has a Jacuzzi and a range of girls aged between 20 and 40.
Grant has refused to comment over the allegations, which heap more embarrassment on crisis club Portsmouth. The 2008 FA Cup winners are £60 million pounds in debt and face being wound up next week by HM Revenue and Customs over an unpaid tax bill of £11 million pounds.
Grant, who guided Chelsea to the Champions League final, takes his struggling side to Manchester United tomorrow after being assured he would not be sacked. A club source said: 'The club will not be making any comment officially but these allegations do not affect Avram's job. 'This is a personal matter and what Avram gets up to in his free time is his own business.'
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cut him some slack pple, portsmouth facing $$ problems, relegation zone, players sold behind his back hahaha. I know he looks like the techno toad though.
