By the time Matchday 5 rolls around on November 25, Chelsea will have hopefully all but wrapped up qualification into the knockout rounds of this season’s Champions League.
Incidentally, November 25, 2014 will mark almost exactly two years from the date of Di Matteo’s sacking (Nov. 21, 2012) in the wake of back-to-back losses at West Bromwich Albion and Juventus. Di Matteo had basically been on sabbatical ever since, collecting his severance pay from Chelsea (through the end of the 2013-14 season) and doing promotional work for various companies and charities on the side. There had been offers on the table for him to return to management earlier; hopefully one of Germany’s biggest clubs will prove to be the right opportunity that he was waiting for.
Schalke 04 got off to a fairly terrible start this season, with just two points from their first four matches and a loss to third tier Dynamo Dresden in the cup. While results had improved recently, the 2-1 loss to Hoffenheim over the weekend signaled the end of Jens Keller’s nearly two-year tenure as head coach. Keller had led the team to 4th and 3rd place finishes, so Di Matteo will have plenty of expectations to live up to as he looks to improve on Schalke’s 11th place in the current standings.
In any case, I think it’s time to wish RDM all the best luck and maybe to do a little celebratory breakdance move.