Di Matteo vows Blues will rule Europe

Posted Saturday, May 19, 2012 by PA

After eight managers, an outlay of £700million in transfer fees and an estimated #2billion overall, Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has promised Roman Abramovich his Champions League odyssey will eventually reach its glorious destination.

For the second time in Abramovich's nine years as owner, Chelsea will contest the most important club game on the planet on Saturday.

The lure of the Champions League is what brought the Russian billionaire to Stamford Bridge, his hunger to win it has arguably cost half a dozen managers their jobs.

Now Di Matteo finds himself in the bizarre position of knowing victory over Bayern Munich may not save him the axe either.

But he hopes, as do all those wearing blue who will cheer on the club Roman built, the journey will reach its end in the Allianz Arena, living in the absolutely certainty that one day Abramovich's dreams will be realised.

"We can win it," said Di Matteo.

"We have to believe and have the confidence to do so.

"I don't know how somebody else feels. I can only guess he (Abramovich) is excited.

"Sooner or later it will come.

"We hope it's tomorrow. But with the quality that's been at this club before and will certainly come into this club again, it will happen."

The 68th richest person in the world, according to Forbes, Abramovich's Champions League history is scarred by ill fortune.

Luis Garcia's ghost goal for Liverpool in 2005, John Terry slipping as he lined up the penalty that would have secured victory over Manchester United in 2008, Andres Iniesta scoring a semi-final winner for Barcelona in injury-time 12 months later.

No amount of money can ease the pain of being kept apart from that elusive prize.

"I haven't had direct message from the owner," said Frank Lampard.

"The general message is always there.

"He has put a lot into this club. Without him, we wouldn't be sitting here now.

"He's always been behind us. You don't get into a final very often. We want to win it now."

Di Matteo cannot afford to get sucked into the emotion.

"You make your own destiny and fate," he said.

"Reaching the last stages of this competition is difficult enough and you always need a bit of luck in a cup competition."

Chelsea's fortune came in the acceptance of Di Matteo to take charge on an interim basis following the dismissal of Andre Villas-Boas at the beginning of March.

It has been suggested that the decision to make a change followed expressions of discontent from senior players.

"People think that we ring up the owner now and again and decide who comes and who'll be sacked," said Lampard.

"That's not how it works at this club. It shouldn't be like that at any club.

"A decision like that is taken out of your hands."

Chelsea will have to win it without inspirational skipper John Terry, who is suspended, along with Ramires, Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic.

Thankfully for Di Matteo, David Luiz and Gary Cahill have recovered from their respective hamstring injuries.

Meanwhile, Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes has insisted Di Matteo should be given the Chelsea job full-time, regardless of the outcome of the final.

Were Chelsea owner Abramovich to jettison him, he would become only the second man to lose his job immediately after winning the Champions League.

Heynckes was the first, having left Real Madrid after their 1998 triumph, and he saw no reason why Di Matteo should suffer the same fate.

The 67-year-old had nothing but praise for the sensational rescue act his opposite number had performed.

Heynckes said: "We must not forget that he has brought Chelsea all the way to the final with a very calm attitude.

"It seems he's a very cool person who's very much in control.

"Step by step, he's improved contact with the players and created harmony. That harmony can be felt.

"He's done a marvellous job and I can't see why whether he wins tomorrow or not would have consequences. You need continuity.

"I don't think there's any argument against him continuing."

Heynckes claimed he had no problem with his own demise at Real, claiming he would have jumped had he not been pushed, and insisted he understood why Abramovich might want to appoint a manager who had won multiple titles.

But he added of Di Matteo: "He makes an excellent impression on me and, if I was Abramovich, I would continue with this young man."