Chelsea may appoint their new manager soon and interim boss Roberto Di Matteo has enhanced his chances after guiding the Blues to their maiden Champions League title, according to the club’s CEO.
Di Matteo was given the job for the remainder of the season following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas in March and led Chelsea to success in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
Despite the trophies it remains unclear if owner Roman Abramovich will give the former West Brom boss the job on a full-time basis but Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay is confident of an announcement in the coming weeks.
“(A new manager could be appointed) any time over the next couple of weeks and certainly by the time we go on tour,” Gourlay said.
“The players report back on July 4th or 5th and in an ideal world you want the coach in position by then.”
Gourlay, who was appointed Chelsea’s chief executive in 2009, believes Di Matteo’s successful couple of months in charge mean he remains squarely in the frame, even though no discussions have taken place with Abramovich about who should take the helm.
“It certainly would have made the discussions a bit different. The fact that he has the Champions League on his CV helps him enormously,” Gourlay said.
“I know there has been speculation in the press and media about conversations with ‘XYZ’ – That has not been the case.
“We will sit down as a board of directors with our owner as quickly as we can and take our decision from there. We are going through that process now and then we’ll sit down … it’s only been a couple of days (since the season ended).”
Russian oligarch Abramovich has seen nine different men manage the club he purchased in 2003 but Gourlay reckons that the managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge has helped maintain a level of success.
“When you take into account how many managers have been sacked or not, when you look at the success we have had on the field it has been there,” he said.
“We have demonstrated, whether you like our model or not, and we have delivered.
“Certainly since I have been in the role, we have always done what we believe is right for the football club in the long term.”
Villas-Boas was dismissed amid rumours that senior players in the dressing room had angled for him to be removed.
Gourlay admitted the players are listened to but stressed they do not have the ultimate say.
“We do listen but at the end of the day it won’t force us to rush into a decision,” he said.
“We have to get it right. The players will always have a view, but at the end of the day it will be the owners and the board of directors that will decide the best way forward.
“Of course we speak to the players and we’re always listening, but we won’t get into the scenario where the players pick the next manager.”