Chelsea confirm Lampard arrival, coach back at Stamford Bridge after two years

NOS Football–today, 14:30

Chelsea has appointed Frank Lampard as interim manager. The 44-year-old Englishman replaces Graham Potter, who was fired Sunday due to disappointing results. Lampard is already the third head coach of the season at Chelsea and may finish the current league.

With Lampard, Chelsea brings in an old acquaintance. The Englishman played thirteen years in West London, during which time he won, among other things, three league titles and, in 2013, the Champions League.

‘The Blues’ began this season with Thomas Tuchel at the helm, but new owner Todd Boehly decided to sideline the German due to poor results. The immediate cause was the 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. Graham Potter was released from Brighton for, reportedly, 18 million euros and had to make his way up the Premier League.

But although owner Boehly pulled out the purse strings and flogged millions again in the winter transfer window – totaling more than 300 million euros for players such as Enzo Fernandez, Mychajlo Moedryk and PSV’er Noni Madueke – Potter sank to 11th place in the league with Chelsea. Last Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat against Aston Villa was the straw.

Squeaky Chelsea

Lampard was appointed coach in 2019, in the year Chelsea had a transfer ban and were not allowed to buy any players. With a very young Chelsea, Lampard finished handsomely fourth and qualified for the Champions League. In the summer break, the club legend brought Ajacied Hakim Ziyech to Stamford Bridge.

The following season, however, results were disappointing which cost Lampard his head. Substitute Tuchel won the Champions League that same season. Meanwhile, two years and two trainers have passed and Lampard has been brought in until the end of the season. Chelsea continues to look for a permanent solution for after that.

Lampard immediately has a leaden task, as next week Chelsea will play in the Champions League against titleholder Real Madrid, which on Wednesday sidelined FC Barcelona 4-0 in the Spanish Cup tournament.