Roberto Di Matteo is about to be rewarded for a job well done.
The Italian native is set to become Chelsea's full-time manager after transforming the club and leading the Blues to the Champions League title after being promoted in March. The new contract is a one-year deal with an option for a second.
Di Matteo, 41, was an assistant with the club before his promotion. After a poor start, head coach Andre Villas-Boas was dismissed in March, despite Chelsea recruiting him from Porto just nine months earlier. The search for a new coach led to names like Rafael Benitez and Fabio Capello, but neither wanted to take over for a short-term. Instead, Di Matteo was named head coach on an interim basis.
It is believed that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's first choice for head coach is Pep Guardiola, who just left Barcelona. However, Guardiola is on a 12-month sabbatical, meaning he would not be with Chelsea to start the season. It is possible that Abramovich could try to lure Guardiola to Stamford Bridge next summer.
But Di Matteo has gotten support from Chelsea players and his record speaks for itself. After taking over, the Blues secured a spot in next season's European Cup with a win over Liverpool and rallied from a 3-1 first-leg deficit against Napoli in the knock-out phase of the Champions League. After beating Napoli, Chelsea shocked the world by beating reigning Champions League winner Barcelona and advancing to the finals, where they defeated Bayern Munich to secure the trophy for the first time in franchise history.
In total, Chelsea lost just three times in 21 matches under Di Matteo. Before Chelsea, he managed West Brom and MK Dons.
