Roberto Di Matteo chosen as the new Aston Villa manager on a £35,000-a-week deal
Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2012 replaces axed Remi Garde with aim of immediate Premier League return
ROBERTO DI MATTEO is the new manager of Aston Villa and expects to be behind his desk within 48 hours.
SunSport can reveal the 45-year-old Italian has been notified the job of returning Villa to past glories is his, following a positive meeting with Villa chairman Steve Hollis last Thursday.
Hollis was "bowled over" by Di Matteo after meeting the former Chelsea and Italy midfielder for the first time and moved swiftly over the weekend to finalise the finer details of Di Matteo’s £35,000-a week contract.
Those negotiations are expected to conclude within 48 hours after Di Matteo’s blueprint for the future delighted Villa’s new owner in waiting Tony Xia.
He personally pushed for the Italian after being impressed by his pedigree, which peaked when Di Matteo led Chelsea to Champions League glory four years ago.
Aston Villa’s board, led by Hollis, had originally singled out Nigel Pearson for the job – while David Moyes was also spoken to, after Villa whittled down an initial list of more than 50 candidates.
But once he had met Di Matteo and heard his far-reaching plans Hollis was convinced Villa had their man – and significantly, Pearson accepted the Derby County job the following day.
Di Matteo is so keen to get started, Xia has given the move his blessing BEFORE he has officially been passed as a ‘fit and proper director/owner’ by the Premier League and Football League.
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The Chinese multi-millionaire is currently awaiting the green light to assume control from Randy Lerner officially after agreeing a £76million takeover deal, rising to more than £100m to buy out the Midlands giants.
In a perfect world Xia would have been in charge when Di Matteo’s appointment was officially announced but the new man stressed his desire to start moving on new signing targets - and sorting out a structured and detailed pre-season straight away.
The former MK Dons, West Brom, Chelsea and Schalke manager intends to hit the ground running in the next 48 hours and sources close to the former Di Matteo say he can’t wait to get started and expects to be "behind his desk at Bodymoor Heath before the weekend".
He has been out of work since resigning from his position as Schalke boss last May, after the Bundesliga giants missed out on a Champions’ League place.
Di Matteo’s tarrget with Villa will be much simpler – he knows he must repeat his achievement at West Brom by winning promotion to the Premier League at the first attempt.
“Roberto believes he has got what it takes to lead Aston Villa into the Premier League at the first time of asking,” we were told.
“He realised achieved precisely that goal with West Brom and again with Chelsea, where he had instant success in winning the Champions’ League. He is looking to replicate that instant impact with Villa.”
Di Matteo worked to a tight budget when he took the Baggies up to the Premier League but he will be handed a £50million transfer war chest by the club’s Chinese investor, who is desperate to lead Villa from the wilderness after a decade of slow decay under Randy Lerner.
Xia is convinced Di Matteo, who is likely to bring in long-term No.2 Eddie Newton as his assistant, can help Villa qualify for the Champions’ League within five years and be one of the world’s leading clubs in the next decade.