After his appointment yesterday, the former-Chelsea boss was officially unveiled as the new Schalke 04 manager on Wednesday.
Roberto Di Matteo on; his first impression of Schalke.
"The first few hours were very positive. I have taken in the infrastructure, the team and met the people behind the team. All this has pleased me. I look forward to the new challenge. The team represents passion and has outstanding fans."
di Matteo on; his new team.
"In the last hours and days I have spent the time intensely watching the previous games the performances of Schalke again and even before hand I'd watched them as someone interested in football. We have a good team, a team with a lot of potential going forward. But defensively there are one or two problems, which is certainly due to the fact that some players were injured or also still are. On the defensive actions, we will work in units. But we also need time and patience to improve. In football there are no miracles."
di Matteo on; his philoshopy.
"I want to play well and successfully. The system which system I do choose, is always dependent on the players that are available. I want my team to be flexible. Recently I have set up both in the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 in. The defence, and by that I mean not just the back four, must be stable. If you look at the statistics of the teams I've trained, it is quickly apparent that they have always scored a lot of goals. It is important that the balance between defence and attack right. Individually, each player must make a contribution, so that the team is successful. The team as a whole. My goal is to get the maximum from each player."
di Matteo on; his goals.
"We want to qualify for the Champions League again. This objective of the team before the season, and that's my claim. In the Champions League we want to qualify from the group stage. I think for the upcoming two games against Sporting Lisbon are very important, perhaps even crucial."
di Matteo on; dealing with his players:
"I am a trainer who communicates a lot with his players. Since I was a professional for many years, I know how players tick, what motivates them, how to deal with them. Each individual has a different mentality."
di Matteo on; his backroom staff.
"Attilio Lombardo is the new assistant coach, alongside Sven Pretty. He brings a wealth of international experience as a player and as a coach. For the goalkeeper training, Massimo Battara will be responsible. He also has a lot of experience in different leagues, as Lombardo was active in Italy and England. Both speak no German, but they will learn very quickly. Until then, communication in English will work, because I do not see any problems."
di Matteo on; the Bundesliga.
"I have always been pursuing German football with great interest. The Bundesliga is a fascinating league. The stadiums are always full, the pace in the games is high. The league is very close to the English Premier League."
di Matteo on; young players.
"I love working with young players. Especially, of course, when they come from the club's own youth system. If a player is talented, I am the first to give him a chance to prove themselves with the pros. That's what I kept to at my previous teams."
di Matteo on; life after Chelsea.
"At first I wanted a break. Recently I've watched a lot of football games. I have also trained, even outside the sport. Now I'm glad I'm at Schalke. I look forward to the new task."
di Matteo on; his reunion with Chelsea.
"There is still a long time until the duel with Chelsea. First, it is important that we deliver a successful start against Hertha BSC after the international break. Then we think from game to game."
di Matteo on; where he'll live.
"Of course I will move close to Gelsenkirchen. Where exactly, I do not know currently. My family will not initially move to Germany because I have three school-age children. With today's technical resources, it is no problem to communicate daily. In addition, my family is more likely to come to Germany."
di Matteo on; former coaches who influenced him:
"There are several. Arrigo Sacchi is a coach, who was there during my time in the Italian national team, I can take a lot from. The same applies for Dino Zoff. At Chelsea, I worked with Ruud Gullit. I learned the Dutch mentality from him. I think you take something from each coach, under which you have played. But were these three very formative."
di Matteo on; tips and advice given to him about the job.
"I have many friends in football, with whom I am constantly exchanges. I talk with national coach Joachim Loew me, for example, we have a long friendship (both played together at FC Schaffhausen). Of course, I have obtained information about Schalke from one or more friends or acquaintances. The reactions were very positive."
Quotes via schalke04.de