Di Matteo’s knockout punch
Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo
African Union at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo wants to prove that his cup pedigree as a player can continue now that he is a coach, starting with tonight’s Uefa Champions League Final against Bayern Munich.
Accumulating four titles in three years with Chelsea, Di Matteo will be hoping that tonight’s final against Bayern Munich will bring the same fortune he experienced as a player.
During the start of the Blues’ revolution in the late 1990s the Swiss-born Italian was a pivotal force in the turnaround of the club.
Arriving in the summer of 1996, it took Di Matteo just one home game to settle in, netting his debut strike at Stramford Bridge against Middlesborough - a team who would swiftly become his favourite target.
That season he netted nine goals and led Chelsea to a sixth place finish, their highest since 1989/90, and reaching the FA Cup final too.
Little did the former Lazio player know that the FA Cup would be his breeding ground for success and for writing his name into the archives of Chelsea’s history.
All it took was 42 seconds.Wembley was the destination and Middlesborough the victim while a 30-yard screamer was enough to set Chelsea and Di Matteo onto a road of Cup final success.
A year later the FA Cup would be an inch away from Chelsea once more. The same venue, the same team and the same score line, this time Di Matteo converted the second goal to defend their title and carry them on an unbeaten run of 20 matches.
Di Matteo would receive more success the following year when the Blues went on to destroy everyone in their path.
Despite having the season blighted by injury, the then 30-year-old netted his third cup winning goal.
The FA Cup was handed to the London outfit for the third year running.
But multiple leg fractures inhibited his comeback and he would be forced into a premature retirement at the age of 31.
Never once failing to lose a game when playing in a cup final, cup success seems to be embedded in the 5ft11 Italian.
So much so, he even came out victorious in the FA Cup final against Liverpool in May 2012, but as coach at the New Wembley.
His Champions League semi-final success over Barcelona proved a turning point in his career as the traditional Italian-style of ‘catenaccio’ football, outdid the mighty Barca.
The Chelsea manager will be hoping to do the same against Saturday’s rivals at the Alianz Arena.
“To reach a Champions League final is very, very difficult," said Di Matteo.
“It’s a massive game for the club, a game that can decide the history of our football club.
“It would be the first time we would have won the European Cup and you'd join an elite group of clubs who have won it before. That's all that matters and what we're focusing on.
"But we have to go into it in the belief we have the quality and the experience to succeed. Personally I'd be absolutely delighted to win the Champions League trophy for this club I'm a club person and feel very responsible and very happy for the players.
“We've worked so hard to get to this point and we've tried so many times over the years to reach this goal.”
While Bayern are favourites due to their home ground advantage, don’t for one moment think that Di Matteo and Chelsea are out of this challenge.
The Cup Final Wonder-kid might just have the all-important knockout punch.
By Rossella Marrai
Accumulating four titles in three years with Chelsea, Di Matteo will be hoping that tonight’s final against Bayern Munich will bring the same fortune he experienced as a player.
During the start of the Blues’ revolution in the late 1990s the Swiss-born Italian was a pivotal force in the turnaround of the club.
Arriving in the summer of 1996, it took Di Matteo just one home game to settle in, netting his debut strike at Stramford Bridge against Middlesborough - a team who would swiftly become his favourite target.
That season he netted nine goals and led Chelsea to a sixth place finish, their highest since 1989/90, and reaching the FA Cup final too.
Little did the former Lazio player know that the FA Cup would be his breeding ground for success and for writing his name into the archives of Chelsea’s history.
All it took was 42 seconds.Wembley was the destination and Middlesborough the victim while a 30-yard screamer was enough to set Chelsea and Di Matteo onto a road of Cup final success.
A year later the FA Cup would be an inch away from Chelsea once more. The same venue, the same team and the same score line, this time Di Matteo converted the second goal to defend their title and carry them on an unbeaten run of 20 matches.
Di Matteo would receive more success the following year when the Blues went on to destroy everyone in their path.
Despite having the season blighted by injury, the then 30-year-old netted his third cup winning goal.
The FA Cup was handed to the London outfit for the third year running.
But multiple leg fractures inhibited his comeback and he would be forced into a premature retirement at the age of 31.
Never once failing to lose a game when playing in a cup final, cup success seems to be embedded in the 5ft11 Italian.
So much so, he even came out victorious in the FA Cup final against Liverpool in May 2012, but as coach at the New Wembley.
His Champions League semi-final success over Barcelona proved a turning point in his career as the traditional Italian-style of ‘catenaccio’ football, outdid the mighty Barca.
The Chelsea manager will be hoping to do the same against Saturday’s rivals at the Alianz Arena.
“To reach a Champions League final is very, very difficult," said Di Matteo.
“It’s a massive game for the club, a game that can decide the history of our football club.
“It would be the first time we would have won the European Cup and you'd join an elite group of clubs who have won it before. That's all that matters and what we're focusing on.
"But we have to go into it in the belief we have the quality and the experience to succeed. Personally I'd be absolutely delighted to win the Champions League trophy for this club I'm a club person and feel very responsible and very happy for the players.
“We've worked so hard to get to this point and we've tried so many times over the years to reach this goal.”
While Bayern are favourites due to their home ground advantage, don’t for one moment think that Di Matteo and Chelsea are out of this challenge.
The Cup Final Wonder-kid might just have the all-important knockout punch.
By Rossella Marrai
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