AVRAM GRANT is regarded in Israel as an extremely lucky coach which gave his bottom a legendary status and this is worth explaining. In Israel when someone “has an arse” it means he has a lot of luck.

In Israel everyone wishes for an arse like Avram’s (in Hebrew: Hatachat shel Avram). When his team won a game with a dubious penalty kick or a goal in an offside position – and Grant won a lot of games like that during his career – then his “arse” got a lot of credit for that.

“Avram’s arse” has become a widespread Israeli expression and was used by Liverpool’s Yossi Benayoun in a television interview after Israel’s unbelievable draw against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin during the World Cup qualifying games (“everyone knows Avram’s got an arse” – Benayoun).

Obviously this Israeli expression is used extensively by the editors in Israel’s newspapers and even on the prime-time news shows. “Can an arse get a knighthood?” asked one Israeli football commentator after John Arne Riise’s own goal in the semi-final in Anfield.