Roberto di Matteo follows AVB back to the Bridge
Boomerang-ing is fast becoming a trend. In the last couple of seasons we have seen countless players return to their clubs in some administrative capacity. The great Zidane is the advisor to Florentino Perez, Real Madrid’s chairman while Luis Figo joined Inter in a similar capacity.
Stamford Bridge is again the hub of activity with the appointment of Andre Villas Boas as manager. AVB is some way coming back to the club he made his mark as an opposition scout as part of the backroom staff with Jose Mourinho. This time he is back as the man in charge. And he has pulled a coup by convincing Roberto di Matteo to join as his assistant.
Di Matteo won five trophies in the six seasons he spent at Chelsea as a player. He returns to the club he famously represented and enjoyed probably his most successful seasons as a player. He was a part of the Chelsea resurgence in the late 90s and was selected in Chelsea’s all time greatest XI. That feat alone speaks volumes about the respect he commands amongst Chelsea supporters.
Di Matteo cut his teeth into managing by taking Milton Keynes Dons to the brink of promotion after finishing third in League One and losing on penalties. He was promptly given the manager’s post at West Bromwich Albion and he led them to an automatic promotion by finishing second. His homecoming to the Bridge on the first weekend of the 2010-2011 season was sour and he was on the wrong end of 6-0 defeat. However he managed to pick up the scraps from that thrashing and built an impressive team that went on to defeat Arsenal and draw with eventual champions Manchester United. However a spate of bad results saw him sacked from WBA.
He was looked as a good prospect and would have probably been in the shortlists of any mid-table Premiership clubs looking for a manager. This is probably the reason why the footballing world has been so shocked by his decision to become the number 2 at a big club rather than take the reins at a smaller club. His appointment will also placate the fans who did not take the sacking of their old favourite Ray Wilkins’ departure too well. A former Blue who returns to the dugouts would be a welcome sight for all fans. They can only hope that di Matteo second homecoming leaves him with much sweeter memories.
Tags: Andre Villas Boas, AVB, Chelsea, Roberto Di Matteo, Stamford Bridge
