Aston Villa part company with Di Matteo

 

Roberto di Matteo has been sacked by Aston Villa after just 124 days in charge of the Championship club.

The Italian manager is the fifth Villa boss to be relieved of his duties in the last year after Tim Sherwood, caretaker Kevin MacDonald, Remi Garde and caretaker Eric Black.

After the club’s disappointing campaign last year and relegation from the Premier League they turned to di Matteo hoping he would be able to rebuild the team.

He was chosen to take charge soon after Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia took over the club.

Villa have won just one of their 11 Championship matches and the board have decided that di Matteo’s time as manager is up.

The decision came after the team were booed off the pitch by their travelling supporters in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Preston.

Despite the poor form at the beginning of this season the verdict to sack di Matteo just sums up Villa’s lack of stability.

Di Matteo has had notable successes in his managerial career including winning the Champions League with Chelsea and guiding West Bromwich Albion to promotion to the Premier League in 2010.

A number of people will feel the Italian could have turned the club around if given more of a chance especially with his experience of managing in the Championship.

Steve Bruce and Mick McCarthy are the favourites to take the job, former managers of Villa rivals Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively.

The club has nearly two weeks until the next match but di Matteo’s assistant Steve Clarke is set to take charge for Villa’s home game against Wolves.