Skip to content

Head to head

Chelsea and Bayern Munich head for the Allianz Arena looking to put disappointing league seasons behind them. Sky Sports charts the managerial careers of the two men who have guided them to the Champions League final.

We chart the careers of the men to guide Chelsea and Bayern to the Champions League final.

Chelsea and Bayern Munich both go into the Champions League final looking to put disappointing league seasons behind them. The west Londoners have struggled while Bayern have not enjoyed the best of times either, having lost out on the Bundesliga title to Borussia Dortmund. But while their league form may be similar, in Roberto Di Matteo and Jupp Heynckes the clubs have two completely different managers. Here, Sky Sports charts the managerial careers of the two men.

BACKGROUND

Di Matteo enjoyed a successful playing career that was called to an early end by injury. The Swiss-born midfielder began playing in the country of his birth, before moving to Lazio and Chelsea. Di Matteo is a club legend at Stamford Bridge, serving the club with aplomb between 1996 and 2002 when injury forced him into retirement aged just 31. A career in management followed and, after spells at MK Dons and West Brom, he returned to former club Chelsea. Heynckes was a striker during his playing days and one that netted for fun during spells with Borussia Monchengladbach and Hannover. Heynckes also represented the German national team, winning the 1972 European Championships and 1974 World Cup. He went into management with Gladbach back in 1979 and has had a long and varied career since, coaching in Spain, Portugal and, of course, his homeland.

APPOINTMENT

When Andre Villas-Boas "parted company" with Chelsea back in March, the club announced assistant manager Di Matteo would take charge of the team until the end of the season. The Italian has overseen an incredible turnaround at Stamford Bridge, winning the FA Cup and leading his side to the Champions League final but has yet to sign a permanent deal to keep him as manager. Having enjoyed a successful spell at the Bayern helm between 1987 and 1991, Heynckes rejoined the club in 2011. He left Bayer Leverkusen to take over from out-of-favour Louis van Gaal.

RECORD

Di Matteo won the League Cup, Cup Winner's Cup and Super Cup during his playing days at Chelsea, as well as two FA Cups. He added to that medal haul last weekend by picking up the FA Cup as manager, leading his side to a 2-1 defeat of Liverpool. Heynckes is in an elite band of managers that has led a club to Champions League glory. He also twice led Bayern to the title during his first spell in charge at the club and enjoyed relative success at most of his previous clubs.

POPULARITY

Di Matteo is a bona-fide Chelsea legend after his playing career and he has done that standing no harm in his short time as interim manager. The FA Cup win has only reinforced his legend status in west London and a Champions League win would see him almost certainly get the job on a full-time basis. Bayern will not be pleased to see Dortmund secure the title once again, but their run to the Champions League has kept most fans happy. There had been suggestions that Heynckes would step down if Bayern won, but he has denied that and pledged to stay on for the final year of his deal whatever happens.

Around Sky