On Thursday, Frank Lampard made a stunning comeback to Chelsea as a caretaker manager until the end of the season, over two years after his dismissal from the Premier League team.
Lampard, who holds the record for the most goals scored by a Chelsea player, was previously the manager from July 2019 until January 2021, when he was replaced by Thomas Tuchel.
The 44-year-old’s unforeseen return to Stamford Bridge took place following the dismissal of Tuchel’s successor Graham Potter on Sunday, with the club situated in the bottom half of the Premier League standings.
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“We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge,” Chelsea co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali 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.”
The statement said Lampard “has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line”.
After being sacked by relegation-threatened Everton in January, former England midfielder Frank Lampard had been jobless.
However, Lampard has made a return to the managerial position with Chelsea, who have nine league games left this season, commencing with their trip to Wolves on Saturday.
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This match will be followed by the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid. Lampard observed from the stands on Tuesday as the Blues, under caretaker boss Bruno Saltor, began the post-Potter era with a goalless draw against Liverpool.
Despite spending over £500 million ($623 million) on new players this season, the west London club currently sit in 11th place in the table, 14 points behind the top four. Chelsea officials reportedly held talks with ex-Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique, who flew into London on Wednesday, regarding the full-time job. Julian Nagelsmann, the recently sacked former Bayern Munich coach, is also believed to be a candidate.
During Lampard’s previous tenure as manager, he led Chelsea to the 2020 FA Cup final, which ended in a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, after spending a single season in charge of second-tier Derby.
AFP
