Di Matteo calm over Abramovich visit

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo says Roman Abramovich visited Blues training after his side's disappointing draw with Juventus.

 Chelsea, who are preparing to face Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday, let a two goal lead slip against Juventus as they began their UEFA Champions League title defence with a 2-2 draw.

 Owner Abramovich spoke to the players at the club's training ground at Cobham on Thursday but it is nothing new to the Italian coach.

 "Yeah he (Abramovich) actually comes quite often to be honest," Di Matteo said.

 "He likes to be involved and he comes down whenever he can. He's followed us a lot this season on the pre-season tour in the States as well. So he's always around when he can be.

 "At a big club you are always under pressure and have to win games and in the right manner as well.

 That's part of being at a big club and the same applies to us." Teenage sensation Oscar marked his Champions League debut with two goals against Juventus, but Di Matteo says the Brazilian is still acclimatising to the Premier League and will face another test against Stoke on Saturday.

 "It's going to be a more physical game because the Premier League in general is more like that," said the former Chelsea midfielder. "But I'm pretty sure he's ready for that, he's an intelligent man and player and will find a way to get around it."

 The Italian also condemned the behaviour of the Twitter users who aimed racist remarks at Nigerian international midfielder John Obi Mikel.

 Mikel was at fault for Juventus' second goal and has subsequently closed his Twitter account. "Well his (John Obi Mikel) intention was to close the account anyway so it was a good reason to close it," he said.

 "I think in general you know social media Twitter because it's anonymous; it's a dangerous vehicle to express yourself. "So if someone has to express an opinion he should put his face to it."

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Di Matteo warns Chelsea fans not to expect too much from £32m playmaker Hazard

Roberto Di Matteo has told Eden Hazard he will be given time to adjust to the rigours of the Barclays Premier League.

 Chelsea's £32million summer signing from Lille is expected to make big waves given his seismic fee but the 21-year-old will not be rushed. 'Of course we are looking for Eden to be incisive - but we have to be patient,' said Di Matteo.

 'He is a young man, he has come from a different league in France and we need to give him time to adapt.'

 The Champions League winners have bolstered their squad by picking up, in addition to the Belgian playmaker, Marko Marin and Oscar.

 The way Chelsea played in the run-up to their Champions League final triumph is unsustainable over the period of the season - the side rode their luck on several occasions.

 But Di Matteo insists the influx of players will not result in a big difference in the style of play. 'There will not be radical changes. We will try to make some changes,' he said.

 'With the integration of these new players, inevitably we will change how we play a bit.

 But I never said we were going to play attacking football. We will play to try and win games.'

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Chelsea boss Di Matteo has Manchester City in his sights

Roberto Di Matteo wants Chelsea to forget about being kings of Europe and concentrate on becoming rulers of England again.

 In his first in-depth interview since being appointed permanent manager, the Italian spoke about the 12 weeks that changed his life last season, when he led Chelsea to an FA Cup and Champions League double after the turbulent tenure of Andre Villas-Boas.

 'Those weeks were the craziest and most amazing of my life,' said Di Matteo. 'We were fighting for fourth place, the FA Cup and the Champions League.

 We had to switch from one competition to another and the pressure was so intense. It was just crazy.' But he is refusing to bask in the euphoria of that special night in Munich.

 The 42-year-old said: 'Manchester City have raised the bar. That is our challenge, to make up the 25-point gap in the league.

 'They are doing what Chelsea did in 2004, in terms of how they have come on to the scene, signed a lot of players and tried to build a foundation. That's the challenge.'

 Di Matteo will have John Terry in his squad this weekend for the first time since the defender was found not guilty of a racial offence involving Anton Ferdinand.

 And the Chelsea manager said: 'JT just wants to play football. He never once looked fazed by having the court case hanging over him. But he is a strong character.'

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Drogba hails Di Matteo as Chelsea's most memorable manager after Champions League win

Didier Drogba has hailed Roberto Di Matteo as his most memorable manager at Chelsea after the Italian guided the Blues to Champions League glory in the striker's last game with the club The striker has not renewed his deal at Stamford Bridge and is reportedly closing in on a move to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua where he would join ex-Blues team-mate Nicolas Anelka. 

 The Ivorian has recalled his time at the club during a promotional visit to India, and revealed that of all his managers at Chelsea it is Di Matteo's achievement that will be remembered most. "I think we have had so many managers and all of them brought something special to Chelsea.

 All of them, I think, were part of our success," he said. "When [Jose] Mourinho came, he built up the spirit that we kept all these years.

 When Carlo Ancelotti came, he also brought another way of playing and thinking. So, it’s difficult to choose one. "The most remembered would be Roberto Di Matteo for winning the Champions League.

 The club was waiting for that." Di Matteo signed a two-year permanent deal at Stamford Bridge recently after winning the FA Cup and European Cup after his taking over from Andre Villas-Boas, and Drogba admitted the win against Bayern Munich, in particular, was an unforgettable experience.

 "Playing in the final was amazing. 

You have to be there at the Allianz Arena to feel the atmosphere," said the Ivory Coast international as he recalled the win. "It was like a dream, you know. 

The scenario was like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. "There was lots of disappointment and sadness when we conceded a goal.

 A few minutes later, we equalised and then it went to the penalties.

 "It was like a lottery but when I had the chance to score from the penalty, I went through a gamut of emotions from the time I started walking to the penalty spot.

 "Many things came to my head but I tried to stay calm and score for my friend Petr Cech, who had been amazing that day, saving three penalties.

" The Blues endured criticism for their defensive approach on their way to the final against Benfica and then Barcelona, but the 34-year-old insisted this would not detract from the team’s achievements. "There is more than one way to win in football. Barcelona and Manchester United have their own playing style and we, in Chelsea, have our own.

 Of course, we have to please our fans," he responded. "The beauty about football is that you can always improve. "The Champions League win was important for Chelsea because people have been saying that Chelsea will try but nothing much will happen.

 We had been trying for eight years and reached the final before. This time we managed to win it."

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Di Matteo confirmed as Chelsea boss

Di Matteo took over as interim boss in March following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, and went on to steer the Blues to the Champions League and FA Cup titles.

 He was less successful in the Premier League, as Chelsea finished down in sixth, but his efforts have convinced owner Roman Abramovich to give him the nod.

 The club released a statement which read: "Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce that Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed manager and first-team coach on a permanent basis.

 The Italian returned to Stamford Bridge today following his holiday to finalise a two-year contract." Chief executive Ron Gourlay said: "Roberto's quality was clear for all to see when he galvanised the squad last season and helped the club make history, and the owner and board are very pleased he will be continuing his good work.

 "We all believed he was a young coach with much to offer when we first asked him to take charge of team affairs in March and the manner in which he worked with us, the players and all the staff, and the success that followed, made him the clear choice when it came to selecting the person to take us forward in the seasons to come.

 "We will be working closely with Roberto in the weeks ahead, some exciting signings have already been made and Roberto has had input into those.

 Although he has set the bar very high in the short time he has been in charge, we know that Roberto is the right man to lead Chelsea onto further success.

" Di Matteo added: "I'm obviously delighted to have been appointed as manager and first-team coach. We all achieved incredible success last season that made history for this great club. Our aim is to continue building on that and I'm already planning and looking forward to the squad's return for pre-season."

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Roberto Di Matteo set for permanent Chelsea appointment

Chelsea are expected to confirm the permanent appointment of Roberto Di Matteo as manager this week.

 The Italian's representatives spent the weekend in talks with Chelsea officials and the 41-year-old has been assured he is the man Roman Abramovich wants.

 Di Matteo has agreed to accept the position in principle and the remaining contractual issues are expected to be ironed out this week.

 The former West Brom manager returns from a family holiday on Wednesday. It is thought Chelsea are likely to wait until Di Matteo is back in London before making an official announcement. Di Matteo was appointed interim coach following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas in March.

 He led Chelsea to a historic Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich last month and also lifted the FA Cup as he lost just three out of 21 matches to restore much-needed pride to Stamford Bridge.

 Di Matteo's case was strengthened by the willingness of the senior players to see him handed the chance to build on last season's triumphs. One issue that remains unresolved, however, is the length of the contract.

 Di Matteo had expressed a reluctance to accept a short-term deal, fearing it would affect his authority at the club and his ability to make long-term decisions.

 It is now thought the most likely scenario will see both parties agree to a longer contract with a clause that would allow either to break it after 12 months.

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