The inspiration for Chelsea's revolution
The man who has re-galvanised Chelsea's players gains his own inspiration from a special source
London: Chelsea have been revived by Roberto Di Matteo, the interim head coach who has guided them to FA Cup glory and tonight leads them into the Champions League final with Bayern Munich.
The man who has re-galvanised Chelsea's players gains his own inspiration from a special source. "My family is where I get my strength from," said the 41 year-old, sitting in his office in Cobham, Surrey.
Reminiscing about his career-ending leg break in 2000 and sacking by West Bromwich Albion last year, he added: "My family is my foundation. Family is important to me all the time, not just after my retirement as a player and not just after what happened at West Brom.
"When I go home it puts a smile on my face. We are lucky. We have a healthy family. Yesterday we had a visit here from an 18-year-old girl from the ‘Make A Wish' foundation with a brain tumour. It can just hit anybody, any family. Every day you hear a new story. I am very appreciative that my children are happy and healthy.
"I'm a family man but, time-wise, I'm a football man first. This job absorbs 80 per cent of my time. The rest is family. I try to shield my children as much as I can from my profession because I just want them to see me as daddy. "They will come to Munich. It's fantastic. I'm very happy they are coming. But I hope they are proud of me not because of Saturday. I want them to be proud because they see me and their mother as good parents. It's a very difficult job to be a parent because of all the social networks that children have access to these days, and the information they have access to. We try to be strict.
"Hopefully we give them a good education, the love they need and we share with them the values that are important to us as a family. The values are to be respectful to each other, to be honest, to work as hard as possible at school and at sport and always to look after each other."
Di Matteo represented Italy, his children were born in England, so what happens when the two sides meet? "They have the English shirt and the Italian. They feel half-English, half-Italian... I will not force them to do anything. I speak Italian with my children. My wife is English from London, half-Irish, and speaks to them mostly in English."
Embraced by fans
Ensconced in London, Di Matteo loved his playing days at the Bridge, being immediately embraced by the fans, a relationship that remains as strong as ever.
Di Matteo is heading towards the Champions League final, bringing the best out of four players in particular — Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech.
"Ashley has been unbelievable for me. He's reached the highest level that we used to see Ashley play at... He's a fantastic professional, low maintenance, a very, very good character. I have enjoyed very much my relationship with him.
"Frank has the hunger. Frank again showed all his ambition, his talent and quality. We always say ‘big games need big players' and Frank has shone in those big games.
"These guys have been successful because of their hunger, natural drive and ambition. Like Drogba. Petr has saved us a lot of times. He doesn't always get the credit. People focus more on the goal scorer. He's shown the best of himself. Great character. Very composed, very positive."
Hundreds of millions will tune in tonight for a final that could prove cagey initially. "Our defensive organisation has to be right to cope with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. But Bayern also have Mario Gomez, who has scored 41 goals. Thomas Muller is a threat as well. They have midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos who can score." A huge test awaits. And afterwards? "Holiday. Absolutely." Family-time.
— The Telegraph GroupLimited, London 2012
