Todd Boehly explains clear reasons for bringing Frank Lampard back

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has explained the reasons behind Frank Lampard’s sensational return as manager for the remainder of the season. After being sacked by the club in January 2021, the Stamford Bridge icon will be back in Chelsea colours as he prepares for Saturday’s trip to Wolves.

The 44-year-old was in attendance for Chelsea’s goalless draw with Liverpool on Tuesday night, as Bruno Saltor took charge of his first game as interim boss.

Following Graham Potter’s dismissal on Sunday night – a day after Chelsea’s 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa – a fast-moving series of events saw Lampard appointed on Wednesday.

His appointment saw owner Boehly and Behdad Eghbai state their reasons for appointing the Blues legend, affirming he would give the team a “clear and stable plan” until they appoint a full-time manager in the summer.

In a statement released this afternoon, Boehly and Eghbai 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.”

Lampard finds himself back in familiar surroundings after being out of work since Everton sacked him in January after just 12 months in charge at the Merseyside club.

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Lampard said of his appointment: “[It was an] Easy decision for me, this is my club. I’m also a very practicial person. I’ve been on a different path since I left Chelsea but to come back when I’ve been asked and come back with a belief I can help until the end of the season.

“Delighted to get the opportunity and I’m thankful. I’ve a good understanding of the squad, the training ground, the stadium and the fans and I’ll do my best.”

Chelsea currently languish in 11th in the Premier League table and, the return of the club’s all-time record goalscorer, will see him faced with the task of scrambling to qualify for European football next season.

Lampard, who finished his illustrious Chelsea career with 648 appearances and 211 goals, guided the west London outfit to the FA Cup final in 2020 during his spell in charge. They were beaten 2-1 by Arsenal at Wembley.

Despite a summer transfer embargo, Lampard led the club to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and gave academy graduates such as Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James a platform to enhance their careers.

But after spending big ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, Lampard was replaced by Thomas Tuchel in January 2021 after Chelsea sat ninth, on a run of just two wins in eight league games.

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