Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed the new manager of Aston Villa on a two-year deal.
The club confirmed the Italian’s arrival as Rémi Garde’s successor via a statement on their official website. In it Di Matteo said: “It’s a wonderful honour for me to become manager of this great football club and I’m looking forward to the challenge of taking Aston Villa back to its rightful place.”
Villa were relegated from the Premier League last season after finishing bottom on the back of just three wins. They also went through three managers – Tim Sherwood, Garde and, in a caretaker capacity, Eric Black – as well as going through overhauls and fallouts in the boardroom. It will be hoped by Villa’s supporters that Di Matteo’s arrival heralds the beginning of a more stable, prosperous period in their club’s history.
Di Matteo has been out of work since leaving Schalke at the end of last season. Prior to that he won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012. He also has experience of the Championship having guided West Bromwich Albion to promotion from the division in 2010.
The 46-year-old was the preferred choice of Villa’s prospective new owner Tony Xia and is expected to bring in his former Chelsea team-mate Steve Clarke as assistant.
