Frank Lampard Returns to Stamford Bridge As Chelsea Manager

Frank Lampard has been appointed as Chelsea manager for the rest of the season, just over two years after he was sacked by the club.

The former midfielder takes over following Graham Potter’s dismissal on Sunday and will be in charge for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.

Chelsea, who are currently 11th in the Premier League, will face Wolves in their next match on Saturday. Despite having spent more than £550m on new players this season, the team is 14 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.

However, they are through to the Champions League quarter-finals and will face Real Madrid in the first leg on Wednesday.

The co-owners of the club, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, have said that Lampard will be in charge while they continue to search for a permanent manager.

In a statement, they said, “We want to provide the club and our fans with a clear and stable plan for the remainder of the season. We want to give ourselves every chance of success and Frank has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line.”

This is not Lampard’s first managerial stint at Chelsea. He previously took over when the club was under a transfer embargo and led them to a fourth-place finish and the FA Cup final in his first season in charge.

However, after spending £200m the following summer on seven major signings, including current players Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz, he was unable to replicate the early success and was sacked by previous owner Roman Abramovich.

Lampard’s last managerial role was at Everton, where he was named boss in January 2022. He guided the team to safety from relegation last season but was removed eight days shy of his one-year anniversary after nine defeats in 12 Premier League games this campaign.

Despite his recent struggles, Lampard remains a popular figure at Chelsea. He was at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday for the team’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool, which was overseen by Bruno Saltor.

With his experience and knowledge of the club, Lampard will be hoping to turn Chelsea’s season around and lead them to a successful finish in the Premier League and the Champions League.