The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Amazing’ Di Matteo
Interim boss will know fate ‘sooner rather than later’
CHELSEA CHAIRMAN Bruce Buck has admitted Roberto di Matteo will come “under serious consideration” when the Blues hierarchy sit down to discuss what to do about their vacant managerial position.
Di Matteo only took over on an interim basis following the dismissal of Andre Villas-boas in February.
No-one could have imagined quite what a success Di Matteo would be.
Although Chelsea missed out on a coveted top-four league place, they defeated Liverpool in the FA Cup final earlier this month and on Saturday enjoyed the greatest night in their history when they beat Bayern Munich on penalties in the Allianz Arena to win the Champions League for the first time.
Now that work is over, Chelsea owner Roman abramovich can work out a plan for the future, and what part, if any, Di Matteo will play in it.
And, for the f irst time, Buck has confirmed the 41-year-old former Italy midfielder will be one of the names in the frame.
“Robbie has done an amazing job,” Buck said.
“He has enabled the players to get back the confidence they used to have. He’s really got them performing.
“We’ve put (managerial speculation) aside for the last six or eight weeks, concentrating on Barcelona, the FA Cup and Bayern Munich, but I think now we have to sit down and figure that out.
“Roberto is certainly in the mix, he’s done a great job and has to have serious consideration.”
Buck confirmed Di Matteo will learn his fate “sooner rather than later”, knowing Chelsea must move on the manager’s position before they can establish summer transfer targets.
Chelsea are a more attractive proposition following Saturday night’s win, which came after the game finished 1-1 after extra time.
Indeed, Di Matteo needed to wind the clock back four years for the true significance of what Chelsea achieved in Munich.
He was an interested observer, watching on television when John Terry strode forward to take that fateful final penalty in the Moscow rain.
And the Italian felt Terry’s pain as he slipped just as he was about to strike, landing with a thud on his backside as the ball squirmed away, offering Manchester United the chance to etch their name on the most prestigious trophy in the club game once more.
Redemption took longer than planned, which is the point Di Matteo was making following a shoot-out success that confirms Chelsea as England’s fifth winner of the most prestigious club competition and a member of Europe’s elite.
“I was at home that night,” said Di Matteo.
“I felt very much for John Terry. It would have been like a film script for him to score the winning goal.
“It turned into a very painful experience, for him and the club.
“A lot of the players thought we would qualify for the final again pretty quickly.
“But it hasn’t come again until 2012, which proves what a difficult competition to win it is.
“You have to take your chance when it comes.”
That is what Chelsea did, despite the massive odds they faced.
On their home ground, taking a lead eight minutes from time, getting themselves a penalty kick in extra time then establishing a 3-1 advantage in a shoot-out taking place in front of their own fans, if Bayern were unable to profit from all those elements in their favour, they did not deserve to win.
Didier Drogba will clearly grab the headlines but superb performances from Ashley Cole and Petr Cech should not be ignored on a night which will shape Chelsea’s future.
“Winning this game will make a huge difference to the future of our club,” said Di Matteo.
“We always said it was crucial to be involved in the Champions League and winning this match qualifies us for next season’s competition.
“It is a double whammy for us in a positive sense.”
Given his mammoth contribution, it seems impossible to believe drilling Chelsea’s final penalty beyond Manuel Neuer will be Drogba’s final act in eight incredible years with the club.
Now 34, with three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and now the biggest prize of all collected, there seems little more for Drogba to achieve with Chelsea.
Would it not be more fitting for him to accept different challenges in a very different part of the world China hardly offers the same competitiveness his place in Stamford Bridge folklore secure?
“Didier is a big-match player and he did it once again,” said Buck of a player who has now scored nine goals in nine finals for Chelsea.
“(Chief executive) Ron Gourlay is going to sit down with his agent this week and we’ll see where it goes.
“We have to do what’s best for Chelsea Football Club and Didier has to do what’s best for him.”
Manwhile Blus defender Gary Cahill got his hands on the first trophy of his professional career and admitted: “If you told me at the start of the season I would win the Champions League, I would’ve thought you were joking.”
Cahill started the campaign not at Stamford Bridge, but at a Bolton side that were ultimately doomed to Barclays Premier League relegation.
There cannot be many players who have enjoyed such a dramatic transformation in their career prospects over the course of a single season.
Defender Cahill, who joined Chelsea for £7m during the January transfer window, said: “I came here and signed for five and a half years and I wanted to win trophies.
That’s why I came here. But to win two in six months is what dreams are made of.”
The 26-year-old, who limped off in the semi-final triumph against Barcelona, was joined on the sidelines by centre-back partner David Luiz, with both only returning to training last week.
“When I picked up the injury against Barcelona, I feared I wouldn’t make the game but I am thankful to the staff that got David and me back,” Cahill said.
“Absolutely amazing night and highlight of my career so far.”
“It seemed like wave after wave,” Cahill said.
“But when we’ve needed to dig deep in this competition, we’ve done it. “We were dead and buried apparently against Napoli. We were dead and buried against Barcelona with 10 men.”