Di Matteo happy to be home at Blues

ROBERTO DI MATTEO begins work at Chelsea this week after almost a decade away, delighted to be back at a club he considers to be home.

The Italian was announced as Andre Villas-Boas’s assistant on Wednesday and begins work today at the club where he spent the best years of his playing career before injury forced him to retire in early 2002.

Fondly remembered as a creative yet combative midfielder with an eye for goal, Di Matteo struck goals in one League Cup and two FA Cup finals to earn his place in Stamford Bridge folklore, before going into management with MK Dons and West Brom.

Having left his post at The Hawthorns in February, he was linked with a number of managerial appointments before taking a call from Villas-Boas asking to join his backroom staff at a club they both knew well.

‘‘I feel very excited to be back at my home club, it’s fantastic,’’ Di Matteo told Chelsea’s website.

‘‘I spent a large part of my professional career and many years of my life at Chelsea. I had a great time here and made many friends, so it feels to me like my second home, or my home.

‘‘I always hoped that one day I’d be able to come back, but you never know, nobody knows what the future holds, but I always thought it was in my destiny to come back to the club one day.’’

Villas-Boas revealed on Wednesday of how he had wanted Di Matteo to come on board, and the 41-year-old was able to expand on his discussion with the new manager.

‘‘He had a very strong feeling that he wanted me here. From the first conversation we had there was a good link and a good understanding, it was a very natural evolvement,’’ he said.

‘‘When you meet someone, from the first impression you can immediately figure out if you will get on or not and it was very positive. We both felt strongly and I have to thank him that he decided and thought I would be suitable and I was very happy to join him. I am also very thankful to Roman Abramovich that he has shown faith in appointing me to the club.’’

Asked if it will be strange stepping down to the role of assistant after three years as a manager himself, Di Matteo said: ‘‘It’s obviously a challenge for me, but I don’t anticipate any problems. I’ve got experience of being a manager, I know what it is like, and I know what it is to be a coach, so I have a bit of both and I am there to support Andre and any of the staff, to give what it takes for us to be successful. That’s the ultimate challenge.

‘‘I followed Porto last season and the amazing success he had there. But his call came a bit out of the blue to be honest, so it’s mostly based on the fact that he likes my football philosophy and that’s why he wants me to be part of his team.

‘‘I think he likes to play football and be positive and attacking, and over the years if you’ve seen a game or two of the teams I coached I think we played the same way, I liked my teams to try and win games rather than not lose, to build, to pass. He’s going to be in charge of it and we’re going to be working the way he thinks is the right way to be successful.’’

Chelsea have developed significantly since Di Matteo was a player there, lifting three Premier League titles, as well as moving to their modern Cobham training ground.

‘‘There is no comparison,” said Di Matteo.

‘‘It’s a state-of-the-art training ground with top facilities now. Everything is in place to be successful and get the best out of the team. There is no excuse for any players or staff because we have everything we need to deliver.’’

Villas-Boas, meanwhile, has no plans to get drawn into a battle of the minds with Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson.

The new Chelsea manager is aware that the Red Devils coach is renowned for his ability to get under the skin of his rivals.

Numerous Premier League bosses have been enticed in by his antics and have ultimately paid the price with below-par performances on the field.

Villas-Boas insists there is no chance of him treading a similar path, with it not in his nature to become embroiled in a war of words.

The Portuguese tactician said: “I have the utmost respect for Sir Alex. I’m not a confrontational guy.’’