Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo is now the odds-on favourite to become the Next Permanent Chelsea Manager after leading Chelsea through to the Champions League Final. The Italian has won a plethora of admirers since being installed as caretaker manager and surely Roman Abramovich will now see sense and make the deal permanent. He has also guided Chelsea to the FA Cup Final and has only lost one of his 15 matches in charge, an incredible feat considering the disarray the club were in towards the end of Andre Villas-Boas’ spell as manager.
On Tuesday night his Chelsea side recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 with defending champions and hot favourites Barcelona, despite having 10 men for the majority of the match. The remarkable defensive performances shown by Chelsea over both legs against arguably the best club side of all time means that they will now head into the Final brimming with confidence. If Real Madrid overcome Bayern Munich in the other semi-final then it will set up an intriguing Final, with Jose Mourinho taking on his old club. Paddy Power have Chelsea priced at 7/2 to win both the FA Cup and Champions League.
Di Matteo may now be the clear frontrunner and obvious choice in the betting but Abramovich remains quiet on the Italian’s future at the club. It’s almost inconceivable that the Russian billionaire could opt for a more experienced manager despite the remarkable transformation under Di Matteo. Abramovich has a unique ability to shock and even if Chelsea are victorious in Europe Di Matteo is by no means guaranteed the job full-time. Big names to be linked with the vacancy include Mourinho, Laurent Blanc and Pep Guardiola, making for a very interesting summer at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday with a West London derby at home to relegation-threatened QPR. Paddy Power have installed Chelsea as the odds-on 4/11 favourites, while QPR can be backed at 13/2 and a draw at 15/4.
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