Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Roberto Di Matteo[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 29 May 1970||
Place of birth | Schaffhausen, Switzerland | ||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1988–1991 | Schaffhausen | 50 | (2) |
1991–1992 | Zürich | 34 | (6) |
1992–1993 | Aarau | 33 | (1) |
1993–1996 | Lazio | 87 | (7) |
1996–2002 | Chelsea | 119 | (15) |
Total | 323 | (31) | |
International career | |||
1994–1998 | Italy | 34 | (2) |
Managerial career | |||
2008–2009 | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
2009–2011 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
2012 | Chelsea | ||
2014–2015 | Schalke 04 | ||
2016 | Aston Villa | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Roberto Di Matteo (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto di matˈtɛːo]; born 29 May 1970) is an Italian professional football manager and former player.
During his playing career as a midfielder. He played for Swiss clubs Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aarau early in his career. After winning the Swiss league title with Aarau in 1992–1993, he joined Serie A team Lazio where he played under managers Dino Zoff and Zdeněk Zeman. After three seasons at Lazio, he joined Chelsea in 1996 for £4.9 million fee, a club record at the time.[3] He retired as a player in February 2002 at the age of 31 following injury problems.[4]
Born in Switzerland to Italian parents, he was capped 34 times for Italy, scoring two goals, and played in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Di Matteo began his managerial career with Milton Keynes Dons, whom he took to the League One playoffs in 2008–09 before leaving to return West Bromwich Albion to the Premier League. As caretaker manager of Chelsea, he steered the club to double title success, winning both the FA Cup and the club's first UEFA Champions League title in 2012,[5] but was dismissed later that year. He coached Schalke 04 for seven months in 2014–2015 and Aston Villa for four months in 2016.