Frank Lampard RETURNS to Chelsea as interim manageruntil the end of the season
Frank Lampard is CONFIRMED as Chelsea’s new interim manager and vows ‘I’ll give the fans what they want’ after boos for Graham Potter – but says it’s NOT ‘unfinished business’
Chelsea have confirmed Frank Lampard’s sensational return as manager for the remainder of the season.
The Stamford Bridge legend – who was sacked by the club in January 2021 after a season-and-a-half in charge – will be in charge for Saturday’s trip to Wolves.
Lampard, 44, watched Tuesday night’s goalless draw with Liverpool, which did little to enhance the credentials of Bruno Saltor as interim boss.
Chelsea confirmed Lampard’s appointment after a breakthrough in negotiations on Wednesday following a fast-moving series of events after Graham Potter was dismissed on Sunday night.
Owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said Lampard would give the team ‘a clear and stable plan’ until they appoint a full-time boss in the summer.
Frank Lampard is back in the Chelsea dug-out as interim manager until the end of the season
The club legend said it was an easy decision for him to return to the club until the summer
Owner Todd Boehly said he hoped Frank would help give stability to Chelsea until the end of the season
‘We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge,’ they said in a statement. ‘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 of success and Frank has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line.
‘We have an important game against Wolves on Saturday and then we will turn our attention to our Champions League quarter-final in Madrid next week. We are all going to give Frank our full backing as we aim to get the best possible outcome from all our remaining games.’
Speaking for the first time since his return was confirmed, Lampard said it was ‘an easy decision’ to come back and believes his knowledge of the club will help stabilise the team until the end of the season.
‘[It was an] Easy decision for me, this is my club. I’m also a very practicial person.
Lampard had a breakthrough in talks with the west London club on Wednesday afternoon
Lampard was pictured leaving his house with him due to be at Chelsea’s Cobham base this morning and take training as he completes a sensational return to the club
Lampard also said he was looking forward to working with Mason Mount (L) again – having overseen his rise to the Chelsea first team
‘I’ve been on a different path since I left Chelsea but to come back when I’ve been asked and come back with a belief I can help until the end of the season.
‘Delighted to get the opportunity and I’m thankful. I’ve a good understanding of the squad, the training ground, the stadium and the fans and I’ll do my best.’
Lampard – who said he couldn’t yet confirm who would be in his backroom staff – said his main objectives were to help balance the squad and give everyone ‘a clean slate’.
‘[My targets are] to install the highest confidence and we want to win as many games as we can.
‘There are big games ahead of us but we have to have a belief in the players and I’ll tell them that today.’
‘I was at the game on Tuesday night I know there’s a lot of talent in this squad. I’m excited to work with them and help them.
‘Modern day football has big squads and Chelsea has been the top end of that. Part of the job is to manage the situation and make every player feel included. Everyone can have a clean slate and show in training what they can do with a competitive nature. We can all push each other and I can manage that.
Lampard is a club legend who helped Chelsea win their first Champions League in 2012
Graham Potter was sacked by Chelsea on Sunday night with the club 11th in the league table
‘Against Liverpool we created a lot of great chances, I’ll be working with them on the training ground [to help with goalscoring] it was part of my game and I know the players will have that.
He also said he was looking forward to working with Mason Mount again – having overseen his rise to the first team – but refused to comment on his struggles at Stamford Bridge this season.
‘I don’t know enough about it to talk about and I think it would be wrong for me to delve into. Mason has always been good for me, Reece James, Tammy Abaraham and Tomori it’s been great to see them go on to big things.
‘I need to find out where he is but I know what I get from Mason and I just want him to perform on the pitch and I look forward to talkin to him more’.
On his relationship with the Chelsea fans, he added: ‘I’m very thankful for the ones that are delighted. Those who aren’t they can know that I will work my utmost to give them a team that they’re proud of.
‘I don’t need to speak too much about my relationship with Chelsea fans. They’ve been a huge support to me and I’m forever thankful for that.’
Lampard has been out of work since Everton sacked him in January after just 12 months in charge but he now finds himself back in familiar surroundings trying to salvage Chelsea’s season.
After the weekend trip to Molineux, Lampard will turn attention to a mammoth Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, with the first leg at the Bernabeu next week.
The return of the club’s all-time record goalscorer comes as a boost to disillusioned fans, with the club languishing 11th in the Premier League table and scrambling to make Europe next season.
His temporary appointment will allow Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali to concentrate on their search for Potter’s permanent successor.
Chelsea held talks with former Spain and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique on Wednesday, with the recently-deposed Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann and ex-Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino also candidates.
Chelsea’s players are convinced their next permanent boss will be either Nagelsmann or Enrique.
Saltor was deemed to be too inexperienced a coach to guide Chelsea for the rest of the campaign as they try and improve their league position but also win the Champions League for the third time.
Bruno Saltor took charge of the team for Tuesday night’s goalless draw with Liverpool
Luis Enrique held talks with the Chelsea hierarchy on Wednesday amid their new coach search
Chelsea are also preparing to speak to Julian Nagelsmann (left) and Mauricio Pochettino (right)
The Spaniard was also viewed as being too close to the Potter regime, having moved from Brighton with him last September.
A 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa last Saturday proved the final act for Potter, who was fired having served for less than seven months and just 31 matches.
The post also offers Lampard the chance to rebuild his reputation in a comfortable environment following a turbulent year at Everton.
Lampard guided Chelsea to the FA Cup final in 2020 during his spell in charge but they were beaten by Arsenal at Wembley.
Despite the handicap of a summer transfer embargo, Lampard led them to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and enhanced the reputation of academy graduates Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James.
But after spending big ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, Chelsea struggled mid-season and were sat ninth, on a run of just two wins in eight league games, when Lampard was replaced by Thomas Tuchel in January 2021.
