November 13, 2023
Exclusive interview with Roberto Di Matteo: I never spoke with Roman Abramovich after Chelsea sacking, Blues can finish top six but they need a proven striker, Villa should prioritise Conference League, and Eden Hazard used to destroy defenders in training
Speaking exclusively to DAZN Bet, Champions League-winning manager and former Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo gives his view on Mauricio Pochettino’s side this season.
The former Lazio midfielder, who was capped 34 times for Italy, believes the Champions League is out of reach for Premier League side Chelsea but has backed the purchase of a new striker in January.
DAZNBET: We wanted to chat with you about Chelsea’s run of fixtures coming up as they look tough! They play Manchester City and Newcastle back-to-back. What are your predictions for those games?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”I think these hard fixtures may actually suit Chelsea! It’s more difficult for teams to play against an opposition that defends with a lot of men behind the ball and waits for you in front of the box. It’s more difficult to break them down and find spaces. I watched Chelsea’s first game of the season, against Liverpool, and they did really well. They were also good against Arsenal. I think these teams may suit Chelsea and they could surprise us!
DZBT: We want to get your opinions of the players Chelsea have been linked with in January. There’s talk of bringing in Ivan Toney up-front. Do you think Chelsea should prioritise options up-front, or elsewhere? Do they have enough at the moment?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”I think this Chelsea team is very good, but they need time to gel. Pochettino also needs time to create a positive environment where everybody knows each other and settles. I’d say Chelsea need a strong number nine. Jackson is good and is still young, they need ready-made players if they want to be able to compete in the Premier League. This is a young team, and we’ll see. I think a number nine who scores 20 goals a season would make a massive difference to the club.”
DZBT: Do you think Chelsea need to buy from the Premier League? You said they need someone ready-made and proven.
Roberto Di Matteo: ”I wouldn’t necessarily say Chelsea need to buy a striker from the Premier League. They do, however, need a proven goalscorer.”
DZBT: What have you made of Todd Boehly’s start to life at Chelsea? He’s put his money where his mouth is and he’s brought in a lot of players. He’s been there for almost two years – how do you think it’s been going?
Roberto Di Matteo: “It’s normal for a club to experience wholesale changes once a new owner comes in. I think everybody knew that Chelsea would change as a club. The new owners are putting their people into the club and there’s been a lot of structural changes within the club. Chelsea can build from their platform once they’re happy with the people they’ve appointed and the changes they’re making. Much like a house, a club needs a strong foundation to build upon.”
DZBT: What have you made of Todd Boehly’s start to life at Chelsea? He’s put his money where his mouth is and he’s brought in a lot of players. He’s been there for almost two years – how do you think it’s been going?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”It’s normal for a club to experience wholesale changes once a new owner comes in. I think everybody knew that Chelsea would change as a club. The new owners are putting their people into the club and there’s been a lot of structural changes within the club. Chelsea can build from their platform once they’re happy with the people they’ve appointed and the changes they’re making. Much like a house, a club needs a strong foundation to build upon.”
DZBT: Where do you see Chelsea finishing this season? Can they make a push for a European place, even if they’re languishing in midtable right now?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”I think Chelsea can finish in the top six. Top four is probably a bridge too far.”
DZBT: What do you make of the summer signings so far? I can see what you mean about Nicolas Jackson – he’s young, raw, and has arrived from a different league. He does, however, have a talent. What do you think of the rest of the signings? Has anyone impressed you? Or disappointed you?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”Chelsea’s signings are all high-quality players and some of them have a lot of potential. If, however, you have a company and you change 10 out of 30 employees, it’ll cause disruption. These things take time.
“I know results are a rare commodity in football, but there’s nothing more they can do. These players are talented and the coach is very good – we just need to be patient.”
DZBT: It feels like time is what Mykhaylo Mudryk needs. He’s shown glimpses of real potential. What advice would you give him to become the world-class player he’s shown flashes of?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”World-class players have consistency, so if Mudryk can perform at a high level every week, then he’ll be on his way to becoming a world-class footballer. He’s shown glimpses of it, but he needs to produce those performances every game. That’s the difference between an average player and a world-class one.”
DZBT: You mentioned that the top four may be out of Chelsea’s reach, which is understandable. If, however, you had to predict a top four, who would be included?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”That’s a great question! If I knew who would finish in the top four, I would have put some money on it! I don’t know at this stage, though. It’s very exciting as we cannot name the teams this soon. Newcastle and Aston have come into the mix recently, and Man United can still sneak in. Clubs like Man United and Chelsea can go on a run once they click for eight or nine games in a row. That would make a huge difference to their standing in the table. City and Spurs will stay up there, and you’ve also got Liverpool and Arsenal. Villa can get there if they sustain their form. Newcastle have the Champions League to worry about, and that can drain you of energy. It’ll be an interesting battle, and the Premier League will want the league to be unpredictable.”
DZBT: Just before we move on to Villa and other teams, I want to reflect on your exit from Chelsea. It’s almost been a decade since you left. From an outside perspective, the decision seemed harsh. What did you think of it?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”That’s just the life of a coach. You know these things will happen when you decide to go into management. Everybody has experienced it. We were talking about Tuchel earlier, and it’s happened to him. It’s also happened to Mourinho and Ancelotti. Every manager, with the exception of Pep, has been relieved of their duties. It’s just a part of life, as disappointing as it is.”
DZBT: Did you ever speak with Roman Abramovich after you left?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”Roman and I never spoke about my dismissal, but I spoke to him whilst attending games and everything was fine.”
DZBT: I’m not a Chelsea fan, but I was surprised to see Rafa Benitez come in, given his links to Liverpool. Were you surprised?
Roberto Di Matteo: ”Nothing in football ceases to amaze me in football!”
In 2016, Di Matteo had a spell with Aston Villa – his last managerial spell in football. The Clarets have made a bright start to the season under Unai Emery and are pushing for European qualification once again.
DZBT: You had a spell at Aston Villa. Do you think they can be a rival to clubs gunning for the top six? How far do you think they can go this season?
RDM: ”Unai Emery is an extraordinary manager and he’s achieved some amazing things since taking over at Villa. If you look at the Premier League table in terms of total points obtained since the date he arrived, you’ll find Villa near the top. They play some really good football, and it’ll be interesting to see what they do this season. They’re in the Conference League games added on, but they’re up there in terms of fighting for the top six. Yesterday’s defeat to Forest will not have gone down well, but their overall stats are amazing. They’re hard to beat at home, and there are some really good signs.
DZBT: West Ham won the Conference League last season and the publicity it generated added a bit of validity to the competition. Do you think this is something Villa should prioritise at the end of the season over finishing sixth?
RDM: ”I think Aston Villa should absolutely prioritise the Conference League this season. A trophy is a trophy, after all! It’s a bit like the Carabao Cup – you have to try to win it if you find yourself in the latter stages. Trophies validate everybody’s work and it gives you a huge amount of satisfaction and makes all the work you’ve done feel worth it.”
Before taking charge of Villa, Di Matteo also managed in the Bundesliga at Schalke 04. The German giants are now sadly languishing the second division, after a spectacular fall from grace
DZBT: What do you make of Harry Kane’s impact at Bayern? Is the sky the limit?
RDM: ”Bayern Munich started the season wanting to win every trophy they can, as they usually do! They normally get to at least the semi-final stage of the Champions League, after all. It’s good that Kane has joined one of the world’s biggest clubs, and it’s even better that he’s had such an impact.
“It’s never easy playing abroad, but Bayern are a very well-run club, and I’m sure they’ve made him feel very welcome. He’s settled straight away, and you can see that in his performances. We were all expecting him to be good, but I’m not sure anybody was expecting to score so many goals and be so crucial to the team.’’
DZBT: Kane scores goals for fun. He’s incredible. Do you think there are any Bundesliga players who can be stars in the Premier League? I know the Bundesliga can attract wonderful players in its own right. We’ve seen Moussa Diaby shine in England this season, but is there anyone else who can be the next big thing in the Premier League or another top league?
RDM: ”I would say Jamal Musiala has the potential to take the Premier League by storm. He may be a young player, but he already has so many games already under his belt. He’s similar to Bellingham in that they’re both box-to-box players who can score goals. He can do great things in England, but it’s going to be difficult to get anybody out of Bayern Munich!”
As well as winning the Champions League, Di Matteo will be fondly remembered by Chelsea fans for bringing Eden Hazard to the club. The Belgium maestro retired from the game earlier this year after an injury-plagued few seasons with Real Madrid.
DZBT: I wanted to talk about Eden Hazard. You were the person to bring him to Chelsea, let’s not forget! What was he like to train and manage?
RDM: ”Hazard was brilliant to manage. He was very young when he arrived at Chelsea, but he was excited to be joining a big club in Europe. He was brilliant in training and in games. He was so enthusiastic and fantastic to manage.”
DZBT: You hear these stories about players with amazing training stories. Is there anything that comes to mind with Hazard? Did he amaze you with his ability?
RDM: ”Hazard used to dribble past two or three defenders, and we hardly had bad ones at Chelsea! It was a privilege to see a player like him in training.”
DZBT: Hazard achieved so much in the game, but were you disappointed with how he bowed-out of the game?
RDM: ”I’m not sure what happened after he left Chelsea to go to Real Madrid as he never showcased the performances he did so regularly in London. I’m not sure what happened, but it was a shame to see such a talented player retire so early.”
