Saturday, 15th October, 2011

Chelsea assistant manager Roberto Di Matteo looks set to be offered the chance to boss Swiss Super League champions FC Basel.

The St. Jakob Park outfit, who shocked Manchester United in the Champions League recently by fighting back from 2-0 down at Old Trafford to lead 3-2, eventually only succumbing to a late leveller to share the spoils, are in the market for a new coach.

Thorsten Fink had been in charge of the club and experienced great success, but the German opted to take the vacant Hamburg post just days ago.


And Basel have quickly drawn up a shortlist of potential replacements, putting Di Matteo’s name at the top next to current FC Luzern boss Murat Yakin.

Di Matteo would be a forward thinking and ambitious choice for a club that has designs on making real progress in Europe while holding onto their Swiss crown.

The 41-year-old only assumed his present role as Chelsea assistant manager over the summer, slotting in as part of Andre Villas-Boas’ backroom team.

Di Matteo does however have managerial experience, having cut his teeth with English third tier outfit MK Dons before enjoying a spell with West Bromwich Albion which ended in February.

The former midfielder was born in Switzerland and began his career with Schaffhausen; Di Matteo also turned out for FC Zurich and Aarau prior to heading to Italy with Lazio and then finally landing at Chelsea.

The opportunity to take charge of his homeland’s biggest club and enjoy Champions League football could well prove too good for Di Matteo to pass up.


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