Roberto Di Matteo
Encyclopedia
Roberto Di Matteo is a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

-born Italian former professional footballer and the current assistant manager of Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

. As a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen
FC Schaffhausen
FC Schaffhausen is a Swiss football team from the town of Schaffhausen. The club plays in the Challenge League, the second tier of the Swiss football pyramid.-Honours:*Swiss Cup: Final game*Challenge League: 1st*Swiss Super League: rank 8...

, Zürich Aarau
FC Aarau
FC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14...

, Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...

, and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

. He was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

 by Italy 34 times, scoring two goals for the Italian national team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

, and played for them in the Euro 1996 and 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

. He retired as a player in February 2002 at the age of 31 through injury problems.

Switzerland and Italy

Born in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 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
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...

 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
Zdenek Zeman
Zdeněk Zeman is a Czech-Italian football coach. He has managed numerous different teams, mostly in Italian football, over the years, and is currently in charge of Serie B club Pescara.-Biography:...

 over a defensive error which resulted in a loss to Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

, ended his career with the club. As a result he was signed by Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...

 for English side Chelsea for a then club record fee of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...

4.9 million.

Chelsea

Di Matteo made an impressive start to his Chelsea career, scoring the winner against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

 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
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 and Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...

. 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. This was the quickest goal scored in a cup final at the old Wembley, although Louis Saha
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...

 has since broken the record for the fastest goal scored in an FA Cup final - ironically, scored against Chelsea in the 2009 renewal.

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
1998 Football League Cup Final
The 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea, under new manager Gianluca Vialli, won with two extra time goals and would go on to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup later that season...

 and the Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

, 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
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

. Di Matteo played a pivotal role in midfield next to Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Augusto Gus Poyet Domínguez is a former Uruguay international footballer and current manager of English side Brighton & Hove Albion.During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur....

, Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United....

 and Dan Petrescu
Dan Petrescu
Daniel Vasile Petrescu is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League....

 and scored some memorable goals, among them a strike against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

 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
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

 goalkeeper David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...

 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
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 side St. Gallen
FC St. Gallen
Football Club St. Gallen 1879 is a Swiss football club based in St. Gallen. The club is currently playing in the 2011/12 Swiss Challenge League.-Brief history:...

 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
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

. He was selected in the squad of Chelsea's greatest ever XI, and former manager Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...

 handed him the honour of leading the Chelsea team out in the 2002 FA Cup Final
2002 FA Cup Final
The 2002 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 2001–02 FA Cup competition. It was an all-London affair between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium on 4 May 2002...

, which Chelsea went on to lose 2–0 to rivals Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

. Di Matteo returned to Chelsea the 29 June 2011, being appointed as André Villas-Boas new assistant Manager.

Milton Keynes Dons

In July 2008, Di Matteo was appointed as Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...

 new manager after Paul Ince
Paul Ince
Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...

 left to join Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

. He in turn appointed former Chelsea colleague Eddie Newton
Eddie Newton
Edward John Ikem 'Eddie' Newton is a former English footballer who played most notably for Chelsea as a defensive midfielder...

 as his assistant and Ade Mafe
Ade Mafe
Adeoye "Ade" Mafe is a retired English sprinter. He was a fitness coach for West Bromwich Albion, having previously worked for Chelsea, Millwall and the Milton Keynes Dons....

, who appeared at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...

 and worked at Chelsea during Di Matteo's time there, as his fitness coach. He began qualifying for his UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

 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
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

, behind favourites Newcastle United, winning automatic promotion to the Premier League.

On 14 August 2010, Roberto Di Matteo returned to Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

 as Head Coach of West Brom but saw his side thrashed 6–0 on the opening day of the 2010–11 Premier League
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...

 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 lead his team to a 3–2 victory against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

 at the Emirates stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

. 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. Whilst 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
Michael Appleton
Michael Antony Appleton is an English former footballer who is the current manager of Portsmouth.He played as a midfielder until his playing career was cut short by a serious knee injury. He also played as a professional for Manchester United, Lincoln City, Grimsby Town and Preston North End...

 was placed in control of first-team affairs on a temporary basis.

Chelsea

On the 29 June 2011, Di Matteo was announced as the new assistant manager to new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Personal life

Di Matteo currently lives in Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...

, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...

 he is married to a South-West London Girl who he married 2 years ago.

Player

FC Aarau
FC Aarau
FC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14...

  • Swiss Super League
    Swiss Super League
    The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...

     (1): 1993


 England Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

  • FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

     (2): 1997, 2000
  • League Cup
    League Cup
    In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...

     (1): 1998
  • UEFA Cup Winner's Cup
    UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
    The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...

     (1): 1998
  • UEFA Super Cup (1): 1998
    1998 UEFA Super Cup
    The 1998 UEFA Super Cup was a match that was played on 28 August 1998 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, contested between Cup Winners' Cup holders Chelsea and Champions League winners Real Madrid. Chelsea won the match 1–0. Guus Hiddink manager of Real Madrid went on to manage Chelsea to win the...

  • Charity Shield
    FA Community Shield
    The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...

     (1): 2000
    2000 FA Charity Shield
    The 2000 FA Charity Shield was the 78th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played between Manchester United, who won the 1999–2000 Premier League, and Chelsea, who won the 1999–2000 FA...


Manager

 England West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

  • Football League Championship Promotion
    Football League Championship
    The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

    : 2009-10 (Runners-up)


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

Manager

Team From To Record
GWDLWin %
 England MK Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...

2 July 2008 30 June 2009 52 27 11 14
 England West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

30 June 2009 6 February 2011 83 40 19 24
Total 135 67 30 38


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK