Avram Grant ‘Sportswash’ accusedofsex slurs trigger misconduct Israeli anger

FORMER CHELSEA boss Avram Grant has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women in an Israeli TV probe into his professional and personal life.

Numerous women — including models, journalists and former soldiers — told Israeli channel Keshet 12 that Mr Grant had flashed, forcibly kissed or demanded sex from them. All chose to remain anonymous.

One Israeli model told Channel 12: “I met him for work because I was told he knows many people and he can help me and he knows very important agents.

“He went into my room and we had small talk, and then out of nowhere he took his clothes off, lay on the bed and started talking to me. He said: ‘Let’s have sex’ repeatedly and mentioned the name of the agent, like he was hinting it may harm my career if I won’t sleep with him.”

The veteran football coach said: “I have always sought… to prioritise staying a human being and to respect every woman or man, whoever they may be.

“Over the years I have maintained relationships with women. In all these relationships I have tried very hard to treat them with respect and friendship, and I never intended to behave unfairly or in any way harm any woman. Anyone who has felt uncomfortable or hurt by me, I regret it and apologize.”

ISRAELI EMBASSY’S spokesman has launched a blistering attack on claims by a leading journalist that the Jewish state is “sportswashing” its reputation.

In a letter to the Guardian, Ohad Zemet took aim at an article penned for the paper by sports writer Jonathan Liew, who claimed the new Israeli pro-cycling team was part of a concerted effort to gloss over Israel’s “crimes”.

Mr Liew wrote: “When we refer to sportswashing, the attempt by states to sanitise their reputations and launder their crimes, there is a certain kind of country we’re usually thinking of.

“We have no problem linking the manifold abuses of Qatar or Saudi Arabia or China to their investment in sport. And yet there appears to be a certain squeamishness about referring to Israel in similar terms.”

Mr Zemet wrote: “I wonder what Bibars Natcho, the Muslim captain of the Israeli football team, would think about this statement, or the Sports in Service of Peace programme, which enables Israeli and Palestinian children to play together to promote coexistence,” he wrote.

“Even a peace agreement with Arab countries receives similar accusations. This is particularly dangerous, implying that Israel is not a state like any other.”