Make Or Break For Chelsea and Di Matteo

It's been quite a season for Chelsea Football Club.  At the start of the campaign, Andre Villas-Boas was named manager after Roman Abramovich paid out a record £13.3 million compensation to Porto after the manager tendered his resignation with the Portuguese League Champions.


Many believed a new era would be the beginning of successful times ahead for the club. Villas- Boas brought in the likes of Raul Meireles from Liverpool, Juan Mata from Valencia and Barcelona youth prospect Oriol Romeu in a bid to mount a challenge for the title.

SUCCESS AND FAILURE: Mata and Villas-Boas

However, things didn't work out, a string of poor results led to speculation of ruthless owner Abramovich parting company with the Portuguese and, at the beginning of March his fate was sealed and his assistant, former Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo took over.


So here Di Matteo was with the same group of players as what his predecessor had before winning the next four games including two wins in the FA Cup, a league win against Stoke before a 4-1 hammering against in form Napoli after trailing 3-1 in the first leg in Naples before suffering defeat at Manchester City.

CHEERS: Di Matteo has turned their season around

After drawing against Tottenham, the blues went on another four game winning run with two of the four being two Champions League games home and away to Benfica.


It has to be said, the best week of Di Matteo's Chelsea reign was last week when his side thrashed Tottenham in an FA Cup semi-final 5-1 before snatching a 1-0 win at home to Barcelona thanks to a Didier Drogba goal on the stroke of half time.

If the west London side can win tonight's second leg against Barca at the Nou Camp and stop the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta from finding a way through the defence it will show a fantastic achievement for a club that was, just a couple of months ago written off to win anything.

THE THREE AMIGOS: Messi, Xavi and Iniesta

An FA Cup and Champions League double is the potential prize for the Blues and in the end, it could mean that a potentially dreadful season turns into a great one, especially if they win the biggest prize of all; The Champions League, the dream that Abramovich craves about.

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Champions League is what Roman wants

As for Di Matteo's future, well, a few more wins and the man that was sacked from West Bromwich Albion not so long ago could be managing the Champions League holders come August.


Football's a funny old game don't you think?!