Roberto Di Matteo says his 2012 Chelsea UCL winners are ‘connected for life’ | OneFootball

Roberto Di Matteo says his Chelsea side that won the Champions League against Bayern Munich in 2012 are connected for life by a special bond.

Speaking after Liverpool’s legends beat Chelsea’s legends 1-0, Di Matteo, who managed Chelsea for the friendly, reflected on what is one of the greatest triumphs in Chelsea’s history – their first UCL win, which he was the manager for.

“When you win a competition, a trophy, it connects you for the rest of your life. Every time we get together, it’s a great feeling and a lot of emotions to see these players again that managed to lift the trophy with the big ears.

“They always turn up when we call them for these sort of games. They love to come back and put the blue shirt on. We’ve created a lot of memories for the players and for the supporters as well. Overall, it’s a wonderful day today to see all these guys again. I wish them all good health.”

A player who took part in the charity match was Eden Hazard, who doesn’t normally come back to Stamford Bridge. Hazard joined the club just before Di Matteo departed, and they spent five months together.

But even in that short period, the Italian manager said he could see Hazard was special: “He (Hazard) was a special player. I think from the first minute he wore the Chelsea shirt, everybody fell in love with him. He arrived in 2012, when I was in charge.

“You could see the talent he had, even though he was only 19 back then. He showed his capabilities and his qualities over the years and had a very successful stint here with us. Thank you to him that he came today and showed again some of his qualities.

“I think the people absolutely loved seeing him on the pitch for Chelsea today.”