K League's Jeonbuk hire ex-Chelsea boss Di Matteo as technical adviser

Sports 14:43 January 04, 2023

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean football club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors announced Wednesday they have hired former Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo as technical adviser.

Di Matteo, 52, is best known for pulling off a double with Chelsea in the 2011-2012 season, when they won both the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup titles. He was at Chelsea's helm for only eight months, from March to November 2012, as caretaker boss following the dismissal of Andre Villas-Boas.

This image provided by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Jan. 4, 2023, shows the K League 1 club's new technical adviser, Roberto Di Matteo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Di Matteo, who collected 34 caps for Italy, also coached West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Schalke 04.

He will be working with former South Korean captain Park Ji-sung, who has been Jeonbuk's technical director since September last year.

"Di Matteo brings a wealth of experience, and he should provide tremendous help for our coaching staff," Park said.

Jeonbuk hold the K League 1 record for most championships with nine. They won five straight titles from 2017 to 2021 but finished runners-up to Ulsan Hyundai FC last year.

Jeonbuk said Di Matteo will meet with the club in Spain during their offseason training camp in early February.