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Di Matteo appointed Aston Villa manager
Italian signs two year deal
Roberto di Matteo has been appointed Aston Villa manager on a two-year contract.
The 45-year-old former Chelsea and West Brom boss has been out of football since leaving German side Schalke last year.
The Italian, who is expected to name former West Brom and Reading manager Steve Clarke as his assistant, replaces Remi Garde who left Villa Park in March with the club set for relegation to the Championship.
David Moyes and Nigel Pearson had also been heavily linked with the club, but new owner Tony Xia felt that Di Matteo's achievements and profile would prove beneficial in helping to build the Aston Villa brand in the Far East. Pearson has since been named Derby County manager.
Di Matteo guided Chelsea to the Champions League in 2012 after overseeing West Brom's promotion back to the Premier League two years earlier.
He still has a house in Leamington Spa near Birmingham from his time in charge at West Brom and is delighted to be taking on a new challenge at Villa Park.
"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," he said.
By: Kieran O'Daly
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