Di Matteo fulfilled that role for the final 11 weeks of the 2011/12 season, leading the club to an historic Champions League and FA Cup double triumph.
He won his first four matches in charge including a tricky FA Cup replay away to Birmingham City and the memorable second-leg turnaround against Napoli.
Although ultimately Chelsea finished outside the top-four places, our success in Europe, that saw Benfica and Barcelona beaten before the victory against Bayern Munich in their home stadium, meant that not only had Di Matteo guided the club to our first Champions League title, but we had also ensured our place in the competition next season.
The Wembley win over Liverpool in early May continued his already sparkling FA Cup history at Chelsea.
Di Matteo is the fourth Italian to manage Chelsea, continuing his association with the club that began in 1996 when he signed as a player from Lazio, the choice of Ruud Gullit.
An international midfielder, he ended his first season by scoring in the FA Cup Final as major silverware was brought back to Stamford Bridge for the first time in 26 years. He also found the net in a League Cup Final win and another FA Cup Final before injury forced his retirement at the age of 31 having played 175 games and scored 26 goals for the club.
He returned to Chelsea as assistant first-team coach under Villas-Boas at the start of last season having become a manager for the first time at League One MK Dons in 2008. A year later he moved up a division to West Bromwich Albion whom he then took into the Premier League at the first time of asking. He was named the top-flight manager of the month in September 2010 but left The Hawthorns in February 2011.
He signed a two-year contract to be Chelsea manager.
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