Di Matteo embraces Chelsea leaders

Roberto Di Matteo denies senior players rule the Chelsea dressing room and welcomes John Terry’s vocal support from the touchline.

Chelsea captain Terry was seen shouting tactical orders to his team-mates after being substituted during his side’s Champions League extra-time victory over Napoli on Wednesday.

Terry has slammed accusations of players overruling management at the club, claims which were believed to be one of the reasons behind Andre Villas-Boas’ sacking earlier this month.

Di Matteo, who has been tasked with managing Chelsea until the end of the season, is adamant his players are not taking advantage of their seniority.

“It’s not just him (Terry). Other players on the pitch were helping other members of the team to win this game,” Di Matteo said.

“Him and other players do it on pitch and you want players to be able to help to arrive at a target everybody wanted, which was to win.”

“I expect all my players to be responsible and help each other and reinforce the message that I give before the game starts and during the game.”

“Every manager would like to have some leaders and, fortunately, we have some in this dressing room.”

Di Matteo conceded that the persistent suggestions that Chelsea’s experienced players were running the club had become a source of annoyance.

“Yeah, because it’s not true. It’s a perception that outside people have,” the Italian said.

“There is a club here that is bigger than any one of us – players, coaches, managers – and it will be here for a long, long time.”

“As long as you get it right, it’s fantastic. You need to make the players believe that it’s the right strategy.”

Di Matteo insists he is not fazed by the magnitude of his task until the end of the season and has dismissed notions that Villas-Boas was unsuccessful at Chelsea because he was never a professional footballer.

“I know what it is like to be in a dressing room, so I’m not intimidated by anything or anyone,” he said.

“But you can understand and you know you’ve been in these situations before so, obviously, you have a good understanding on what the thinking is and the procedure in their head.”

“You don’t have to be an ex-player to be a successful manager, that’s for sure. Arrigo Sacchi wasn’t one and Jose (Mourinho) wasn’t one, Villas-Boas wasn’t one.”