Di Matteo named Villa boss

Former Schalke and Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has been named the new Aston Villa boss according to BBC Sport.

The former Champions league winning manager has been chosen by new Villa supremo Dr Tony Xia as the marquee signing to lead the midlands club back to the Premier League and has promised a kitty of between £30-40m to help achieve it.

The club’s owner Xia was said to be impressed with Di Matteo’s CV and believes that the Italian could be the big name that Villa need to lift the spirits of the supporters who were less than impressed with the club’s decline last season.

Roberto Di Matteo
Credit: @Oddschanger

With money to spend under the new ownership it was seen as a key appointment to get someone who knows the importance of the next step and the progression of the club, as well as understanding the culture and the style of football in this country. Di Matteo clearly has experience in England as he built up his resume with Mk Dons and West Bromich Albion, before taking over the big job at Chelsea having been assistant manager at the club he played at for six years.

It seemed initially that the Villa chairman Steve Hollis had preferred former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson to take over but he has since joined Derby County and Di Matteo quickly became the overriding favourite.

Though it was not a done deal as Di Matteo was in Rome on Saturday having talks regarding the Lazio job, with the Italian side looking to replace Simone Inzaghi who took over as caretaker boss from Stefano Pioli in April.

Di Matteo was in charge of German side Schalke for seven months before stepping down a year ago. Since the takeover at Villa  he has since been the favoured name to be the figurehead of the new era under Tony Xia.

Di Matteo was in charge of the Chelsea side in 2012 that lifted the Champions League trophy, as the successor of Andre Villas-Boas but left six months later after a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Juventus in the Champions League.

Plenty of other names have been circulating around the vacancy at Villa including Steve Bruce, David Moyes and Sean Dyche of Burnley but it is Di Matteo who will now be charged with the task of bringing the Midlands club back to the big time.

Previous Article
Port Vale

Jose Mourinho ally odds on for Port Vale job

Next Article

Grimsby goalkeeper signs new contract

Related Posts