Di Matteo appointed as permanent Chelsea manager

Roberto Di Matteo has been confirmed as Chelsea manager on a permanent basis after signing a two-year deal with the club.

The Italian guided the Blues to FA Cup and UEFA Champions League glory while interim manager following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas in March.

There had been speculation that the trophies would not be enough to earn the 42-year-old the job, with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich reportedly keen to bring in Pep Guardiola.

But the club officially confirmed the appointment of Di Matteo on their official website on Wednesday.

A statement from Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay read: “Roberto’s quality was clear for all to see when he galvanised the squad last season and helped the club make history, and the owner and board are very pleased he will be continuing his good work.

Young coach

“We all believed he was a young coach with much to offer when we first asked him to take charge of team affairs in March and the manner in which he worked with us, the players and all the staff, and the success that followed, made him the clear choice when it came to selecting the person to take us forward in the seasons to come.

“We will be working closely with Roberto in the weeks ahead, some exciting signings have already been made and Roberto has had input into those.

“Although he has set the bar very high in the short time he has been in charge, we know that Roberto is the right man to lead Chelsea onto further success.”

Di Matteo, who has lost just three matches during his time in charge, has revealed he is already planning to build on last season’s achievements.

He was quoted on the club’s official website as saying: “I’m obviously delighted to have been appointed as manager and first-team coach. We all achieved incredible success last season that made history for this great club.

“Our aim is to continue building on that and I’m already planning and looking forward to the squad’s return for pre-season.”