Di Matteo wins right to be on Roman's shortlist of three for full-time Chelsea job

Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012 by Dailymail

Roman Abramovich has a powerful defence against any criticism he might receive for the way he runs Chelsea. It's something along the lines of three English titles, five domestic cups and two Champions League finals.

But he can still get it horribly wrong. He missed that epic encounter in Barcelona on Tuesday night, seemingly opting for a shopping trip in Kensington when the Champions League is supposed to be his obsession.

Did he not fancy his side's chances or did he have something more pressing to attend to? We will, of course, never know, such is the secrecy that surrounds the Russian billionaire.

Di Matteo wins right to be on Roman's shortlist of three for full-time Chelsea job
Nou beauty: Roberto Di Matteo celebrates Chelsea's triumph in Barcelona

Only in the decisions he makes at Stamford Bridge do we get some insight into how the man operates and the sacking of two managers who might well have satisfied his desperate craving for the European Cup remains a source of some frustration to Chelsea supporters.

Particularly when the decision to dismiss Carlo Ancelotti a year after the Italian secured a league and cup double in his first season was compounded by the appointment of Andre Villas-Boas.

In fairness the decision to then sack the young Portuguese has proved a more astute piece of management. But Abramovich finds himself in a second Champions League final far more by accident than design.

So what happens now? Does he keep the guy who got him there or does he bring in someone new, having concluded that, whatever happens in Munich on May 19, Roberto Di Matteo lacks the experience to carry out the rebuilding work required at Stamford Bridge?

He clearly didn't expect Di Matteo to do as well as he has done. He was a stop-gap appointment, the
'interim' part of the job title he was given making that perfectly clear.

He was a manager who had failed at West Brom and someone who only three years ago was watching his
MK Dons side lose 1-0 to Walsall. But what a remarkable job he has done, not only conquering Barcelona but Benfica before that and a Napoli side that appeared to be through to the last eight after the first leg encounter Villas-Boas had overseen.

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