Roberto Di Matteo

Roberto Di Matteo

Personal information
Full name	Roberto Di Matteo
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Chelsea (caretaker manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1991	Schaffhausen	50	(2)
1991–1992	Zürich	34	(6)
1992–1993	Aarau	33	(1)
1993–1996	Lazio	87	(7)
1996–2002	Chelsea	119	(15)
Total		323	(31)
International career
1994–1998	Italy	34	(2)
Managerial career
2008–2009	Milton Keynes Dons
2009–2011	West Bromwich Albion
2012–	Chelsea (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Roberto Di Matteo (Template:IPA-it; born 29 May 1970) is a Swiss-born Italian former footballer and the current caretaker manager of Chelsea through the end of the 2011-12 season. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich, Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped 34 times for Italy, scoring two goals, and playing in Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup. He retired as a player in February 2002 at the age of 31 following injury problems.

Club career

Switzerland and Italy

Born in Switzerland to Italian parents, Di Matteo began his career with Swiss club Schaffhausen, before joining Zürich in 1991 and Aarau a year later. He won the Swiss Nationalliga A with Aarau in 1993 and in the same season was awarded Switzerland's Player of the Year award. He signed for Lazio in the summer of 1993 on a free transfer. Di Matteo became a regular in the Lazio side and made his debut for Italy during his time with the Rome giants for three seasons. However, a falling out with coach Zdeněk Zeman over a defensive error which resulted in a loss to Internazionale, ended his career with the club. As a result he was signed by Ruud Gullit for English side Chelsea for a then club record fee of £4.9 million.

Chelsea

Di Matteo made an impressive start to his Chelsea career, scoring the winner against Middlesbrough on his home debut. His passing ability and accurate long-distance shooting saw him become one of the driving forces of Chelsea's resurgence in the late 1990s. He contributed nine goals in his first season, including long-range efforts against both Tottenham Hotspur and Wimbledon. He helped the club finish 6th in the league, their highest placing since 1989–90, and reach the 1997 FA Cup Final at Wembley. Within 42 seconds of the kick-off, Di Matteo scored from 30 yards, to set Chelsea on their way to a 2–0 win versus Middlesbrough. This was the quickest goal scored in a cup final at the old Wembley, although Louis Saha has since broken the record for the fastest goal scored in an FA Cup final - scoring against Chelsea for Everton in the 2009 final.

The following season he again proved his worth to the team, chipping in with ten goals and numerous assists, as Chelsea went on to claim the Football League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup, their first European honour since 1971. In the League Cup final, again against Middlesbrough, Di Matteo scored the second goal in a 2–0 win. Season 1998–99 turned out to be a special season for Chelsea as they went on an unbeaten run of over 20 games to finish third in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League. Di Matteo played a pivotal role in midfield next to Gustavo Poyet, Dennis Wise and Dan Petrescu and scored some memorable goals, among them a strike against Coventry City in the dying seconds of the game.

During the 1999–00 season he was hampered by injury but returned late in the season to score a handful of crucial goals, including his third Cup-winning goal at Wembley, once again in the FA Cup. In a dour match, Di Matteo capitalised on an error by Aston Villa goalkeeper David James to score the winner in the 71st minute, handing Chelsea their fourth major trophy in three years. This lead Di Matteo to comment on the old Wembley Stadium saying "It's a shame they're tearing the old place down – it has been a very lucky ground for me".

Early into the 2000–01 season, Di Matteo sustained a triple leg fracture in a UEFA Cup tie against Swiss side St. Gallen and spent the next eighteen months on the sidelines. He eventually gave up on his comeback and retired in February 2002 at the age of 31. In his six years at Chelsea, he made 175 appearances and scored 26 goals. He never lost at Old Trafford. He was selected in the squad of Chelsea's greatest ever XI, and former manager Claudio Ranieri handed him the honour of leading the Chelsea team out in the 2002 FA Cup Final, which Chelsea went on to lose 2–0 to rivals Arsenal.

Management career

Milton Keynes Dons

In July 2008, Di Matteo was appointed as Milton Keynes Dons new manager after Paul Ince left to join Blackburn Rovers. He in turn appointed former Chelsea colleague Eddie Newton as his assistant and Ade Mafe, who appeared at the 1984 Summer Olympics and worked at Chelsea during Di Matteo's time there, as his fitness coach. He began qualifying for his UEFA coaching licences while still playing – completing his "B" licence during his time with Chelsea. In his first season with MK Dons, he led them to third place in League One behind Leicester and Peterborough. They lost in the play-offs semi-finals against Scunthorpe on penalties.

West Bromwich Albion

Di Matteo was snapped up as West Bromwich Albion Head Coach. In his first season, the team finished second in the Football League Championship, behind favourites Newcastle United, winning automatic promotion to the Premier League.

On 14 August 2010, Roberto Di Matteo returned to Stamford Bridge as Head Coach of West Brom but saw his side thrashed 6–0 on the opening day of the 2010–11 Premier League season. However, Albion bounced back in the very next week, beating Sunderland 1–0 at The Hawthorns. After five games they had accumulated seven points, their best start to a Premier League Season. In the sixth game Di Matteo led his team to a 3–2 victory against Arsenal at the Emirates stadium. Di Matteo was named Premier League Manager of the Month for September 2010. He also praised the spirit of his players after West Brom's 2–2 draw at Manchester United on 16 October 2010. However, during December 2010 and January 2011, the club had a period of poor form, winning only one of ten matches. While it was evident that the majority of fans were still loyal to Di Matteo, the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on 5 February 2011 proved the final straw for the board and Di Matteo was relieved of his duties with immediate effect. First-Team Coach Michael Appleton was placed in control of first-team affairs on a temporary basis.

Chelsea

On the 29 June 2011, Di Matteo was announced as the assistant manager to new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas. In February 2012, Di Matteo was heavily linked to the vacant managerial position at Leeds United. The position offered him the chance to be reunited with former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates, who had come under scathing criticism from Leeds fans and was looking for a popular appointment. On 4 March 2012 he was appointed caretaker manager of Chelsea until the end of the season following the sacking of Villas-Boas. Di Matteo started his reign at Chelsea in winning form, after a 2-0 victory over Birmingham city in the FA Cup and going through to the quarter finals of the FA cup. On 10 March 2012, Di Matteo got his first league win against Stoke City, winning 1-0 thanks to second half Didier Drogba goal.

Personal life

Di Matteo currently lives in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

International goals

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	30 April 1997	Stadio San Paolo, Naples	Poland	1–0	3–0	1998 World Cup qualifier
2.	28 January 1998	Stadio Angelo Massimino, Catania	Slovakia	3–0	3–0	Friendly

Honours

Player

FC Aarau;

• Swiss Super League (1): 1993

Chelsea

• FA Cup (2): 1997, 2000
• League Cup (1): 1998
• UEFA Cup Winner's Cup (1): 1998
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 1998
• FA Charity Shield (1): 2000

Manager

West Bromwich Albion

• Football League Championship promotion: 2009-10 (Runners-up)

Individual

• Premier League Manager of the Month (1): September 2010

Manager

As of 10 March 2012

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
MK Dons	2 July 2008	30 June 2009	52	27	11	14	051.92
West Bromwich Albion	30 June 2009	6 February 2011	83	40	19	24	048.19
Chelsea (caretaker)	4 March 2012	Present	2	2	0	0	100.00
Total			137	69	30	38	050.36

External links

• National Football Teams Profile
• Di Matteo at Chelsea
• MK Dons linked with Di Matteo
• MK Dons profile