Roberto Di Matteo sits at his home in South London as a plane roars ahead on the Heathrow approach. It’s October 2013 and, unemployed, he is enjoying spending more time with his family.
“When I worked, I would get up and leave before the three kids woke up and then get back in the evening,” he said as his English wife made an espresso.
“It was hard on my family,” added the former Schaffhausen, Zurich, Aarau, Lazio and Chelsea player, who was born in Switzerland but capped 34 times by Italy. “So it was really nice to spend a summer holiday with them and to see so much of them now.”
Di Matteo had been in charge of Chelsea in 2012 when they became the first London club to win the European Cup. He was enjoying watching football on television as a neutral, but even a year ago he wanted to get back into management.
“I’m blessed with languages: I speak German, English and Italian,” he said. “I can get by in a couple of other languages. I’m taking a break this year and I’ve enjoyed that. When I work I get very involved.”
It would take another year for Di Matteo to find the right job for him, but the German will come in useful now he is manager of Schalke 04. The Gelsenkirchen club dismissed Jens Keller after an indifferent start to the season. Di Matteo, 44, enjoyed a winning start with a 2-0 victory against Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
Schalke hope his European experience will help Tuesday as they take on Sporting at home.
Schalke kept a clean sheet for only the second time this season against Hertha and were helped by the return of captain and Germany international Benedikt Howedes after five weeks out.
In a tight Group G, Schalke have drawn their opening two European games, against Maribor and group leaders Chelsea. Di Matteo will lead out his new club against his former in London on November 25. Sporting have picked up one point from their opening two games, but they beat Porto 3-1 in the Portuguese Cup on Saturday and have lost only one of their 10 games this season, at home to Chelsea.
In Di Matteo, Schalke have an adaptable manager.
“I consider home to be wherever I am with my family, my wife and my children,” he said. “I’ve been influenced by the Swiss culture, by my Italian culture, by the English culture. I feel like a pan-European man because of the influence of all these cultures.
“The Swiss culture is based on education, both social and academic. They have respect for the nation, for the people. They are efficient and punctual. That is inside me.
“The Italian culture is about enjoying your life and being optimistic about your life. It’s about looking after your family. I feel that.
“The English culture has taught me to be open-minded about the world. The English were conquerors in the past. They like to travel and see the world.
“I’ve lived in London most of my time. It’s a cosmopolitan city where I’ve learned to accept many different religious styles of living. I’ve accepted the idea of living with people with different ideas and philosophies.”
He is happy to now be trying out his own ideas and philosophies in Germany.
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