Frank Lampard has been appointed as the new Chelsea head coach until the end of the season.
The 44-year-old, who previously coached the Blues between July 2019 and January 2021, has returned to Stamford Bridge following the dismissal of Graham Potter on Sunday.
Lampard reported to Chelsea’s Cobham training ground on Thursday morning to take training with the players. He will take charge of Saturday’s away game against the Wolves. Chelsea has not confirmed Lampard’s backroom staff yet, but Ashley Cole, Joe Edwards, and Chris Jones are expected to join him.
“We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge,” said Chelsea’s co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. “Frank is a Premier League Hall of Famer and a legend at this club.
“As we continue our thorough and exhaustive process for a permanent head coach, we want to provide the club and our fans with a clear and stable plan for the remainder of the season. We want to give ourselves every chance at success and Frank has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line.
Chelsea have struggled on the pitch since Boehly’s consortium completed a takeover of the club last summer. The Blues have been the biggest spenders in Europe – investing more than £500million into the squad – but that hasn’t led to results.
Boehly sacked manager Thomas Tuchel in September, with Potter arriving from Brighton to succeed him. Potter boasted an impressive CV following his successful spell with the Seagulls, as he established them in the top half of the Premier League.
Yet the Englishman failed to get the best out of Chelsea’s packed squad. A 2-0 defeat to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening proved to be the final straw, with Boehly showing Potter the door the following day.
Although Potter’s domestic record at Chelsea was poor, they have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League after beating Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. That is ironic, as Tuchel went on to lift the European Cup after replacing Lampard in January 2021.
Lampard now has the chance to win the Champions League as a manager, but a quarter-final tie against Real Madrid will not be easy.
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