Di Matteo - Nothing's won yet

Di Matteo - Nothing's won yet

Roberto Di Matteo: Chelsea manager wants fourth spot and a trophy at the end of the season

Chelsea's interim manager Roberto Di Matteo believes only a top-four finish and winning a trophy will count as a successful season for the club.

Di Matteo has helped to revive the Blues' flagging season since replacing Andre Villas-Boas a month ago and, in midweek, led the club into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

The Italian has also set up an FA Cup semi-final meeting with Tottenham Hotspur next weekend and Chelsea are five points adrift of their London rivals in the race for fourth spot in the Premier League.

However, while Di Matteo has been pleased by the progress of his team in rec ent weeks, he admits there is still plenty to play for at Stamford Bridge.

Great honour

"I'm working my socks off to help this team become successful," said Di Matteo. "But so far we have not proved anything and we have not achieved anything.

"The players have done extremely well to turn things around but it will only be a successful season if we finish in the top four and win a trophy."
Roberto Di MatteoQuotes of the week

"It's a great honour for me to coach a club like Chelsea and we are in a good moment right now.

"A month ago we were in a situation where we had a two-goal deficit to Napoli in the Champions League, we were further adrift of the top three in the Premier League and we weren't in the FA Cup semi-finals.

"The players have done extremely well to turn things around but it will only be a successful season if we finish in the top four and win a trophy.

"We have to e nsure we finish well to guarantee Champions League football for next season. That's the big target.

"At the moment there are four teams fighting for the last two qualifying places and it will go right to the last game of the season.

"I'd prefer if we were challenging for first or second place rather than fourth but the players all know how important this is and must not slacken off. Every player here has a professional attitude. Most of them have a contract for next season and it is in everyone's interests to finish this season well."