Di Matteo Forced To Retire

Italian midfielder Roberto Di Matteo has been forced to retire from professional football after failing to recover from a triple leg break suffered 18 months ago. Di Matteo captured the hearts of Chelsea fans when he scored a memorable goal after just 43 seconds into the 1997 FA Cup Final against Middlesbrough. He also scored in the 1998 League Cup Final and again in the 2000 FA Cup Final. Described by Chelsea MD Colin Hutchinson as "a genuine nice guy", Di Matteo was a permanent fixture in the Chelsea XI before he suffered the horrific triple leg break against St Gallen in September 2000. It was expected that he would be back within a year and a half and Chelsea fans expected an imminent return when pictures were printed in the daily newspapers showing Di Matteo training around two weeks ago.

Di Matteo was capped by Italy on 34 occasions, bagging 2 goals. He was a hero everywhere he played and the Lazio fans were so upset about the boards decision to sell him that they pelted Di Matteo's car with stones in protest. Born in Switzerland of Italian parents, Di Matteo is still just 31 but if he had made a comeback it could have left him with leg problems for the rest of his life. Di Matteo's goal after 43 seconds of the 1997 FA Cup Final remains the quickest goal ever scored in an FA Cup Final and it will remain so for many years. The picture of Di Matteo celbrating that goal will stay with me for the rest of my life. On behalf of Footy Mad, I would like to wish Roberto Di Matteo well in whatever he does in the future.