EXCLUSIVE: Jose doomed a week ago as Grant made call to seek Pro coaching badge

In a sensational twist to the tale of Mourinho's departure, Grant contacted the boss of Israel's coaching set-up at the end of last week and said: "I need a Pro Licence — and I need it in a hurry."

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Feeling pressed: Grant is introduced as the new Chelsea coach by Bruce Buck

Former Israel coach Grant — who claims that he did not knife the Portuguese in the back — was confirmed as Chelsea's new manager just 12 hours after Mourinho left the club.

Grant's elevation from director of football was rubber-stamped at a series of crisis meetings on Wednesday, but it has emerged that he had an idea well beforehand of what was about to unfold.

Grant first made contact with Amnon Raz, Israel's equivalent of League Managers' Association chief John Barnwell, six months ago and asked about the procedure for a Pro Licence but decided against taking it any further.

There was a different tone about his latest call a week ago, according to informed Israel Federation sources, as he quizzed Raz about the quickest way of obtaining a certificate that is viewed as a necessity for managing in the Premier League.

Former Israel skipper Avi Nimni added: "His appointment may have surprised many people, but not me.

"I am in daily contact with Grant, and this move has been on the go for a long time.

"You have to be beside Abramovich and Grant to understand the connection between them."

Ex-Israel Under-18 coach Raz is due in London next week to discuss Grant's options and has also recruited Federation president Avi Luzon to try to hasten the qualification process.

Sportsmail understands Grant faxed details of his career to Luzon on Thursday and that the Federation chief will draft a letter, signed by himself and Raz, urging UEFA to treat the new Chelsea manager's case as a priority.

Luzon said: "It is a great honour for Israeli football that a coach who came from our ranks has been given one of the top jobs, if not the top job, in football."

Grant was officially presented as the club's new manager yesterday and despite major misgivings among the first-team squad ahead of tomorrow's Premiership clash at Manchester United, he claims he can be a success.

The Israeli, who is observing the strict rules of Yom Kippur and will not take the team for training today, said: "People asked who was Arsene Wenger when he first came to England, and look what he has done.

"No one had heard of Fabio Capello when he began training Milan's youth team, but look at his record.

"It is not fair to compare me to Jose Mourinho. I respect everything he's done, I don't have a bad word to say against him. He was special, but I am normal."

Summer signing Florent Malouda said: "There was a different atmosphere in training today, more serious.

"The new coach made much of the importance of physical power and also insisted we shoot more and from any distance. It was not a revolution in tactics, but he also wants us to be more secure in defence."

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon also appeared alongside Grant yesterday and claimed that the new manager has the total support of the first-team squad.

Kenyon said: "There has been a team meeting with the rest of the players and they have come out in full support of the changes. They have made that clear.

"Avram Grant will be more popular if we win on Sunday. If we are more successful in the next five years than we have been in the last three, it will be the right decision."

Mourinho himself called on fans to back the team, saying yesterday: "I don't want the supporters to chant my name if they get a bad result. I don't want players to threaten to leave because I have left. I don't want demonstrations of any sort."

He added: "I don't want to coach in Portugal, nor do I want to be the coach of the Portugal national team for the next few years. I think sometime I will return to coach in England."