by Seyi Lawal

In case you haven’t heard the news yet, Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed first team coach of Chelsea FC, as Andre Villas-Boas, 34, was sacked after just eight months with the club.

A statement on Chelsea’s website Sunday said:

“The board would like to record our gratitude for his work and express our disappointment that the relationship has ended so early.
Unfortunately the results and performances of the team have not been good enough and were showing no signs of improving at a key time in the season.
The club is still competing in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup, as well as challenging for a top-four spot in the Premier League and we aim to remain as competitive as possible on all fronts.
With that in mind we felt our only option was to make a change at this time.”

AVB recorded a five match win-less run recently and had the worst win rate of all the managers under Roman Abramovich’s era.

The Portuguese coach had signed a 3-year contract worth £14m. The club also spent £28m paying off Ancelotti & Porto. Thus his 39-game reign cost Chelsea FC over £1m a match.

He was criticised by Chelsea players for his tactics with midfielder Frank Lampard claiming they had a relationship that was “not ideal.”

“Will this result increase pressure on me? You have to agree with it,” he said last week, indicating that his job was at risk. “We are in the same position, fifth, but we are now three points behind Arsenal. It is a big, big disappointment. Every defeat Chelsea suffers piles more pressure on any manager.”

He however stated that he felt he was the right man for the job, saying  “I wouldn’t have taken it if I didn’t think that.”