Chelsea appoint Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until end of the season

Chelsea have appointed Frank Lampard as the club's caretaker manager until the end of the season following the dismissal of Graham Potter last weekend.

The 44-year-old returns for his second stint having lost his job as Chelsea boss midway through the 2020-21 season.

He went on to take charge of Everton in January 2022 and was sacked just under a year later with his side in the relegation zone.

Lampard had an illustrious career with Chelsea as a player, winning three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League during his time at the club.

He rejoins with the Blues 11th in the Premier League following Tuesday night's goalless draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

His first game at the helm will be Saturday's trip to Wolves, before the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final against European champions Real Madrid.

Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: "We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge. Frank is a Premier League Hall of Famer and a legend at this club.

"As we continue our thorough and exhaustive process for a permanent head coach, 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.

"We have an important game against Wolves on Saturday and then we will turn our attention to our Champions League quarter-final in Madrid next week. We are all going to give Frank our full backing as we aim to get the best possible outcome from all our remaining games."

Speaking in his first press conference back at the club, Lampard said: "It was an easy decision for me because this is my club.

"I'm also a very practical person. I've been on a different path since I left Chelsea but to come back as I've been asked and be back here with a belief that I can help until the end of the season is really great. I’m delighted to get the opportunity and I'm thankful.

"I’m confident in myself and I’ve a good understanding of the squad – I’ve worked with many of them before - the training ground, the stadium and the fans.

"I will do my upmost in this period to give the fans what they want, with all my heart.

"The explanation of my role speaks for itself but I'm not getting ahead of myself. I want to do the job to the best of my ability and in a way that can impact the club. I want to do the best I possibly can until the end of the season and after that, we'll see what happens."