‘Chelsea nonetheless had an incredible group after AVB left. I mentioned, “That is the final probability lots of you’ll get to win the Champions League – seize this chance”‘: Roberto Di Matteo reveals what he mentioned to Blues squad when turning into interim supervisor in 2012

April 21, 2025

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Chelsea legend Roberto Di Matteo has revealed what it felt like to interchange Andre Villas-Boas in the course of their iconic 2012 Champions League-winning season.

Villas-Boas was sacked in March after his Chelsea aspect adopted up a 3-1 defeat within the Champions League final 16 first-leg towards Napoli with a 1-0 loss to West Brom within the Premier League, which left the Blues off the tempo within the combat for fourth. Squad choice had change into an actual challenge, with many high-profile names sad with the Portuguese supervisor’s groups.

Villas-Boas’ assistant, Roberto Di Matteo took over on an interim foundation, with the Italian tasked with bringing the feel-good issue again to Stamford Bridge. He shortly managed that, beating Napoli 4-1 within the return leg to succeed in the quarter-finals, galvanising a aspect that had come so shut earlier than in Europe however simply missed out.

Chelsea gamers got only one extra probability to win Champions League

Roberto Di Matteo celebrates with the Champions League trophy after Chelsea's win over Bayern Munich in the 2012 final.

Chelsea raise the Champions League trophy (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)

In the end, Di Matteo led Chelsea to not solely the Champions League trophy, but in addition win the FA Cup as properly. His interim spell yielded enormous success, together with his motivating phrases driving the squad on.

“I’d been assistant to Andre Villas-Boas till his sacking,” Di Matteo completely tells FourFourTwo. “It had been a tough season, as quite a lot of youthful gamers had been introduced in with the thought of taking the membership into a brand new period.

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo during a press conference ahead of the 2012 Champions League final in Munich

Di Matteo introduced a feel-good issue again to Chelsea (Picture credit score: Alamy)

“Issues didn’t work out and I used to be requested to step as much as be caretaker supervisor. The Champions League had been one of many few good spots, so I pulled the group collectively and mentioned, ‘Look, guys, that is going to be one of many final probabilities lots of you’ll get to win this – seize this chance.’

“It was nonetheless an incredible group: John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech… We created an environment that this was our final probability. That carried us to glory.”

Having overcome Barcelona at Camp Nou in dramatic trend, Chelsea have been with out key gamers in Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and Ramires on account of suspension, with Ryan Bertrand stepping in to make his Champions League debut on the left-wing within the ultimate. Not that Di Matteo was frightened.

“I didn’t have to encourage my gamers [for the final]; they’d given the whole lot to be there they usually knew what it meant to the membership to have this chance,” he provides.

Frank Lampard, Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea in the Premier League

Villas-Boas struggled to get Chelsea gamers on aspect

“Bayern Munich have been a superb group, in fact, however one thing about my gamers that evening made me imagine that one thing unbelievable was about to unfold.

“The sport, the penalty shootout – the whole lot was so tense, however I believed. It’s a reminiscence I’ll always remember.”

‘Chelsea nonetheless had an incredible group after AVB left. I mentioned, “That is the final probability lots of you’ll get to win the Champions League – seize this chance”‘: Roberto Di Matteo reveals what he mentioned to Blues squad when turning into interim supervisor in 2012

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