WIGAN - Avram Grant has been sacked as manager of West Ham United Sunday in the wake of relegation from the Premier League club, with the Israeli describing as the saddest day of his 40 year career.
"The club can confirm that Avram Grant is no longer the manager of West Ham United," said a press release published on the website of the club.
"First coach Kevin Keen will take charge of the team for the last match at home in the season against Sunderland on May 22.".
Owners of the club east London David Sullivan and David Gold, jointly with the Vice-Chairman Karren Brady, after watching West Ham relegated acted quickly as team wasted Grant an advance of two goals in their 3-2 defeat to fellow wrestlers Wigan.
With the match only to play League, West Ham - who sit bottom of the table and six points from safety - are doomed to play at the second level of English football for the first time since 2006.
They had led by two goals from Demba Ba, but Charles did Zogbia led the return of Wigan and scored twice including winning 90th minute after a mistake of goalie Robert Green hammers.
However, Sullivan and Brady were at the DW Stadium and called Grant in a meeting of less than an hour after the final whistle to announce that the Israeli could be sacked.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Grant said: "it is a very sad day for me, I think that the saddest day since I started in football, there are nearly 40 years."
"I came (to the club) with a lot of desire and the belief that we could do something here."
"I knew that the financial problems and that the team was saved from relegation, because the League was low last year."
"I always thought that we could do better, but this game is perhaps the story of our season."
The cost of relegation will be enormous for West Ham, who would previously have eighth of wages bill in Premier League.
First division football is worth about 90 million pounds a season of income and people like green England internationals, Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Matthew Upson all are likely to be sold to be a part of the short fall.
West Ham are also due to move to Upton Park in the Olympic Stadium, once it was reorganized as a football and athletics combined after the London 2012 Games.
Brady this week, insisted that move would still independently of whether or not West Ham remained.
Grant looting marks the end of the depressing League another campaign for former Chelsea boss, who had been in charge at Upton Park year after leaving Portsmouth following their relegation from the Premier League.
But Grant, who handed a four-year contract to replace Gianfranco Zola, endured a miserable season from start to finish and his relationship with his employers quickly stretched that West Ham is struggling to climb away from the relegation zone.
Although he led the hammers in the League Cup semi-finals and the quarter final of the FA Cup, Grant won only seven of his 37 as championship games this season.
It was reported that West Ham offered a job as Grant Martin O'Neill in January, but the former manager of Aston Villa dismissed their approach.
Side of Grant briefly sparked hope of avoiding the drop when they won three of the five Premier League games from February 2 to March 5, including a memorable 3-1 at home Liverpool victory.
But the loss to Wigan was a sixth in seven games of Championship and Grant was always likely to pay the price.
Manager of QPK Neil Warnock could be a potential replacement for Grant, while the former boss of Newcastle and Blackburn, Sam Allardyce would be another candidate.
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