Wayne Sleep OBE appears on BBC’s The Wheel with Michael McIntyre
6 years ago
Italy Roberto Di Matteo transitioned from a distinguished playing career, marked by significant cup victories with Chelsea, into a successful managerial role where he famously led the club to their first UEFA Champions League title.
Roberto Di Matteo is available to book via the Champions Speakers agency for corporate events.
Roberto Di Matteo was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, on May 29, 1970, to Italian parents. His playing career began in Switzerland, initially with Schaffhausen, followed by stints at Zürich and Aarau. He achieved early success by winning the Swiss Nationalliga A with Aarau in 1993. In 1993, he moved to Italy to play for Serie A side Lazio, where he developed into a versatile central midfielder under managers Dino Zoff and Zdeněk Zeman. His performances at Lazio earned him a call-up to the Italy national team, for whom he eventually accumulated 34 caps and scored two goals, participating in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. His time at Lazio established him as a prominent two-way central midfielder in Italian football.
In 1996, Di Matteo made a significant move to Chelsea for a then-club record fee of £4.9 million. He quickly became a fan favourite, known for his passing ability and long-range shooting. During his six years at Chelsea, he made 175 appearances and scored 26 goals. He was instrumental in Chelsea’s resurgence in the late 1990s, contributing to their victories in the FA Cup in 1997 and 2000, the Football League Cup in 1998, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1998, and the UEFA Super Cup also in 1998. His playing career was cut short at the age of 31 in February 2002 due to a triple leg fracture sustained during a UEFA Cup tie against St. Gallen.
Following his playing retirement, Di Matteo embarked on a managerial career. He managed Milton Keynes Dons (2008-2009) and later West Bromwich Albion (2009-2011), guiding the latter to promotion to the Premier League. He returned to Chelsea in 2011 as assistant coach and then took over as caretaker manager in March 2012. In this caretaker role, he led Chelsea to win the FA Cup and, most notably, their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in 2012. After being appointed permanent manager for the 2012-13 season, he was dismissed in November 2012. He subsequently managed Schalke 04 (2014-2015) and Aston Villa (2016), and most recently served as a technical advisor for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2023.
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