Former Chelsea captain John Terry has lifted the lid on Tal Ben Haim's turbulent single season at Stamford Bridge, claiming the Israeli defender was "very lucky" to secure his move to the west London club.
The Unravelling of a Chelsea Dream
Ben Haim arrived at Chelsea in 2007 with high expectations after impressive spells at Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bolton Wanderers. José Mourinho personally brought the right-back to the club, with the delighted defender promising he would "play in any position" for his new manager.
However, the dream move quickly turned sour when Mourinho dramatically resigned in September of that year - just three months after Ben Haim's arrival. The Israeli's compatriot Avram Grant took over the reins, marking what would become a disastrous period for the defender.
Terry, who captained Chelsea throughout Ben Haim's single season at the Bridge, revealed on the Obi One podcast that the defender later admitted he would have joined another club had he known Grant would become manager.
Training Ground Explosions and Exile
"Tal was a funny guy. I think he knew he'd been very lucky with his move to Chelsea," Terry disclosed during the live recording with former teammate John Obi Mikel.
The former England captain painted a vivid picture of the constant clashes between Grant and his compatriot. "Avram Grant and him fought daily. Obviously they knew each other, spoke the same language and were constantly against each other."
The situation escalated to the point where Grant banished Ben Haim from first-team training, explicitly telling him: "You're not allowed in when the first team is here."
Terry described how he intervened, gathering the squad and delivering a stern message to the Israeli defender: "Listen, it's a big year for us... everyone calm down. The lads want you involved in the group, don't be a dickhead, stop arguing with the manager. If you are one, then you can leave. But come and train properly with the group, we need you as part of the group."
The intervention proved temporarily successful, with Grant allowing Ben Haim to return to training where he "trained properly."
Shevchenko Clash and Rapid Exit
The drama didn't end with Grant. John Obi Mikel recalled another explosive incident involving Ben Haim and Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko during a training session.
"It was a futsal match, that's where it always happened," Mikel explained. "We were training and playing, and [Tal] kept tackling and kicking everyone. Shev never talks. He was very quiet."
However, Ben Haim's persistent fouling eventually provoked the normally reserved Shevchenko beyond breaking point. "After the last one, Shev got up and boom! They both started throwing punches and we all jumped in, it was crazy. That's my funny moment with Tal."
Following Grant's appointment, Ben Haim managed only 13 appearances for Chelsea before departing for Manchester City in 2008. His career then took him across English football with spells at Sunderland, Portsmouth, West Ham, Queens Park Rangers and Charlton, though he never recaptured the form that had initially attracted Mourinho.
The defender, who earned 96 caps for Israel, eventually retired in 2021 after returning to play club football in his homeland, leaving behind a Chelsea legacy defined more by training ground explosions than on-pitch achievements.
