Di Matteo begins damage control

London: Chelsea's interim coach Roberto Di Matteo woke up yesterday with the immediate priority of securing Champions League football for next season before the club embark on the search for a permanent successor to sacked Andre Villas-Boas. Salvaging a top-four finish in the Premier League would at least ensure the London club start next term in no worse a position than this season, albeit with exactly the same problems to solve as they had when they installed Villas-Boas. Failure to grab a qualifying spot for Europe's elite club competition would mark their worst season since Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and could shrink the pool of managerial candidates even more than the reputation of the job might. Former assistant Di Matteo has 11 League games in which to lift Chelsea from the fifth place they currently occupy or the club will not even be in the competition their Russian owner values more highly than any other. The Italian former Chelsea midfielder has the backing of former assistant coach Ray Wilkins. "He knows the situation in the Premier League, he's been around for quite a while," Wilkins told Sky Sports News. "I'd say it was probably better that Robbie takes over than bringing someone in for the rest of the year." Villas-Boas was dismissed on Sunday after a poor run of results, leaving the club three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and on the brink of a Champions League exit. Di Matteo's first match in charge will be tonight's FA Cup fifth-round replay at Championship (second division) Birmingham City in the only competition they still have a realistic chance of winning. They host Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday before facing an uphill battle to try to overturn a 3-1 deficit at home to Napoli in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. From gulfnews