Editing Roberto Di Matteo (section)

==Club career==
===Early career===
Born in [[Schaffhausen]], Switzerland<ref name="Hugman"/> to Italian parents from [[Abruzzo]], Di Matteo began his career with Swiss club [[FC Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]], before joining [[FC Aarau|Aarau]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|last=De Bartolo|first=Augusto|title=Di Matteo alle origini: da Paglieta alla finale di Champions|url=http://sport.sky.it/champions_league/2012/05/17/di_matteo_roberto_paglieta_chelsea_bayern_champions.html|work=[[Sky Italia]]|publisher=[[Sky plc|Sky]]|date=18 May 2012|access-date=30 October 2016|language=it}}</ref> He won the [[Swiss Super League|Swiss Nationalliga A]] with Aarau in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schifferle|first=Michael|title=Di Matteo's journey shaped by Swiss roots|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01fd-0e7e2a7d93f1-d0073b4631f0-1000--di-matteo-s-journey-shaped-by-swiss-roots/|publisher=UEFA|date=14 May 2012|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref>

===Lazio===
He signed for [[SS Lazio|Lazio]] in the summer of 1993 on a free transfer.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hancock|first=Lewis|title=Preview: Aston Villa home|url=http://www.bcfc.co.uk//news/article/2016-17/preview-aston-villa-home-3272491.aspx|website=bcfc.co.uk|publisher=Bristol City F.C.|date=26 August 2016|access-date=31 October 2016}}</ref> Di Matteo became a regular starting-11 member of the Lazio side in midfield under managers [[Dino Zoff]] and later [[Zdeněk Zeman]], and he made his debut for the [[Italy national football team|Italy national team]] during his three seasons with the Rome club.<ref name="Di Matteo, favola azzurra">{{cite news |last=Coldagelli |first=Luigi |date=22 December 1993 |title=Di Matteo, favola azzurra. " mi dissero: fatti svizzero cosi' andrai ai Mondiali " |language=it |work=Corriere della Sera |publisher=RCS MediaGroup |location=Milan |url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1993/dicembre/22/Matteo_favola_azzurra_dissero_fatti_co_0_93122212869.shtml |url-status=dead |access-date=21 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102043831/http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1993/dicembre/22/Matteo_favola_azzurra_dissero_fatti_co_0_93122212869.shtml |archive-date=2015-11-02}}</ref> Under Zeman, he was frequently deployed in the central midfield role, in which he was required to aid the team defensively – thanks to his formation as a sweeper during his youth –<ref name="Di Matteo, favola azzurra"/><ref name="LAZIO DI ZEMAN">{{cite news |url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1994/04/26/la-lazio-di-zeman-schemi-potenza.html?ref=search |title=LA LAZIO DI ZEMAN, SCHEMI E POTENZA |work=a Repubblica |language=it |date=26 April 1994 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}</ref><ref name="svizzero">{{cite news |url=https://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/calcio/roberto-di-matteo-lo-svizzero-dabruzzo-che-port-il-chelsea-sul-trono-deuropa_18850534-202002a.shtml |title=Roberto Di Matteo: lo svizzero d'Abruzzo che portò il Chelsea sul trono d'Europa |work=Sportmediaset.it |language=IT |date=29 May 2020 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}</ref> as well as offensively and creatively.<ref name="quando Di Matteo battè gli azzurri">{{cite web |url=https://www.calcionapoli24.it/rassegna_stampa/occhi-cinesi-e-sorriso-giapponese-ecco-quando-di-matteo-batt-gli-azzurri-n49452.html |title=Occhi cinesi e sorriso giapponese: ecco quando Di Matteo battè gli azzurri... |website=calcionapoli24.it |language=it |date=10 October 2019 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}</ref> During his time at the club, he developed into one of the top two-way [[Midfielder#Central midfielder|central midfielders]] in Italy.<ref name="elogio a Zeman">{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/1997/settembre/09/Matteo_elogio_Zeman_ga_0_9709095262.shtml|title=Di Matteo, elogio a Zeman|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|publisher=RCS MediaGroup|location=Milan|language=it|date=9 September 1997|access-date=21 September 2014}}</ref>

===Chelsea===
Di Matteo scored the winner against [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] on his home debut for [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Di Matteo breaks Chelsea deadlock|first=Glenn|last=Moore|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/di-matteo-breaks-chelsea-deadlock-1310957.html|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent Print|location=London|date=21 August 1996|access-date=15 March 2012}}</ref> His passing ability and accurate long-distance shooting saw him become one of the driving forces of Chelsea's resurgence in the late 1990s, along with several other Italian players.<ref name="Italian Job">{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2668163-how-chelseas-italian-job-helped-make-the-club-great-again |title=How Chelsea's Italian Job Helped Make the Club Great Again |publisher=Bleacher Report |last1=Hayes |first1=Garry |date=12 October 2016 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}</ref> He contributed nine goals in his first season, including long-range efforts against both [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] and [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} He helped the club finish sixth place in the league, their highest placing since [[1989–90 in English football|1989–90]], and reach the [[1997 FA Cup final]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Within 42 seconds of the kick-off of the final against Middlesbrough, Di Matteo scored the opening goal from 30 yards and Chelsea won 2–0.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chelsea joy as Boro finish on empty |url=http://www.fa-carling.com/news/prem/17059719.html |website=fa-carling.com |publisher=Bass Brewery |date=17 May 1997 |access-date=25 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970613210614/http://www.fa-carling.com/news/prem/17059719.html |archive-date=13 June 1997}}</ref> Di Matteo's goal was the fastest in a Wembley FA Cup final until the record was broken by [[Louis Saha]] for [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] in [[2009 FA Cup final|2009]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

The following season Di Matteo again proved his worth to the team, contributing ten goals and numerous assists, as Chelsea went on to claim the [[EFL Cup|Football League Cup]] and the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|Cup Winners' Cup]], their first European honour since 1971.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} In the [[1998 Football League Cup final|League Cup final]], again against Middlesbrough, Di Matteo scored the second goal in a 2–0 win.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Di Matteo played in midfield next to [[Gus Poyet]], [[Dennis Wise]] and [[Dan Petrescu]] in the [[1998–99 Chelsea F.C. season|1998–99 season]] as Chelsea finished third.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} During the [[1999–2000 FA Premier League|1999–2000]] season Di Matteo was sidelined by injury but returned late in the season to score a handful of crucial goals, including his third Cup-winning goal at Wembley, once again in the [[2000 FA Cup final|FA Cup]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} In a dour match, Di Matteo capitalised on an error by [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] goalkeeper [[David James (footballer, born 1970)|David James]] to score the winner in the 72nd minute, handing Chelsea their fourth major trophy in three years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chelsea claim FA Cup glory|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/fa_cup/756784.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=20 May 2000 |access-date=31 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Twomey|first=Liam|title=Chelsea's history of Italian managers a mixed bag with Conte to arrive|url=http://www.espnfc.com/club/chelsea/363/blog/post/2814492/chelsea-history-of-italian-managers-a-mixed-bag|work=ESPN FC|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|date=4 April 2016|access-date=31 October 2016}}</ref> This led Di Matteo to comment on the old Wembley Stadium saying "It's a shame they're tearing the old place down it has been a very lucky ground for me".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Borrows|first1=Bill|first2=Derek|last2=Hammond|title=The talkSPORT Book of Premier League Legends|location=London|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|page=273|date=2 August 2012|isbn=978-1-84983-941-9}}</ref>

Early into the [[2000–01 FA Premier League|2000–01]] season, Di Matteo sustained a triple leg fracture in a [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] tie against Swiss side [[FC St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] and did not play for the next eighteen months.<ref name="Injury_BBC">{{cite news|title=Roberto di Matteo named as new Chelsea assistant coach|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/13957547|publisher=BBC Sport|date=29 June 2011|access-date=27 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="Injury_UEFA">{{cite web|title=Roberto Di Matteo|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0250-0c50fb933519-68896ee24d6a-1000--roberto-di-matteo/|publisher=UEFA|date=7 October 2014|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref> He gave up on hopes of returning from this injury in February 2002 and retired at the age of 31.<ref name="Injury_BBC"/><ref name="Injury_UEFA"/> In his six years at Chelsea, Di Matteo made 175 appearances and scored 26 goals.<ref name="Roberto_LMA">{{cite web|title=ROBERTO DI MATTEO|url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/roberto-di-matteo/|website=leaguemanagers.com|publisher=[[League Managers Association]]|access-date=1 October 2015}}</ref>