He was the unlikely choice to hold the club together when it was falling apart.
Indeed, Roberto Di Matteo feared he would be getting his marching orders when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked, not asked to fill the breach.
But the Italian, who surely expected his contribution to Chelsea history was going to be those two Wembley Cup Final winners, is now just 90 minutes away from orchestrating the greatest triumph the club has ever achieved.
But even landing the Champions League might not be enough for Di Matteo to get the job full-time.
Yet what is unquestioned, as his players once again lined up to pay tribute after their remarkable Nou Camp comeback, is that Di Matteo has proved himself the most adept man-manager at the club since Guus Hiddink rescued their season three years ago.
As Villas-Boas’ assistant, Di Matteo could see every mistake the Portuguese was making. And ensured he did the opposite.
The internal exiles, like Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel, as much as the obvious Villas-Boas critics like Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, have been brought into the fold.
Where the Portuguese believed explaining his decision was a sign of weakness, that conflict was preferable to consensus, Di Matteo has opted for free and open channels of communication.
Tactically, it brought a return to the core values instilled in the Jose Mourinho era - players ready to sacrifice themselves for the common good.
And that has ensured that even those most upset at Villas-Boas’ exit, the likes of Raul Meireles, David Luiz and Ramires, have bought in.
The result is just one defeat in 15 matches, capped by that night of nights in Catalonia, with the greatest prize now within their reach.
Yes, they have had their breaks along the way.
In that astonishing four-game run, Barcelona hit the woodwork twice in both games, as did Arsenal at the weekend, while Spurs hit the post before the ghost goal that should haunt referee Martin Atkinson for the rest of his career.
Yet if the tactical framework had not been right, had the players not believed in this manager just as they so patently did not in his predecessor, good fortune would not have been enough.
Only a squad that has unity and purpose would buy into the game-plan Chelsea adopted against Barca, what became nine white shirts camped on the edge of their own penalty area for most of Tuesday.
Di Matteo, while pointing to what he has done, shrewdly still attempts to deflect praise away from himself and onto the players.
“Stability helps every player and every club,” he said. “The players know that they have to perform and they have a responsibility towards themselves and the club. You just have to try and get the best out of them.
Indeed, Roberto Di Matteo feared he would be getting his marching orders when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked, not asked to fill the breach.
But the Italian, who surely expected his contribution to Chelsea history was going to be those two Wembley Cup Final winners, is now just 90 minutes away from orchestrating the greatest triumph the club has ever achieved.
But even landing the Champions League might not be enough for Di Matteo to get the job full-time.
Yet what is unquestioned, as his players once again lined up to pay tribute after their remarkable Nou Camp comeback, is that Di Matteo has proved himself the most adept man-manager at the club since Guus Hiddink rescued their season three years ago.
As Villas-Boas’ assistant, Di Matteo could see every mistake the Portuguese was making. And ensured he did the opposite.
The internal exiles, like Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel, as much as the obvious Villas-Boas critics like Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, have been brought into the fold.
Where the Portuguese believed explaining his decision was a sign of weakness, that conflict was preferable to consensus, Di Matteo has opted for free and open channels of communication.
Tactically, it brought a return to the core values instilled in the Jose Mourinho era - players ready to sacrifice themselves for the common good.
And that has ensured that even those most upset at Villas-Boas’ exit, the likes of Raul Meireles, David Luiz and Ramires, have bought in.
The result is just one defeat in 15 matches, capped by that night of nights in Catalonia, with the greatest prize now within their reach.
Yes, they have had their breaks along the way.
In that astonishing four-game run, Barcelona hit the woodwork twice in both games, as did Arsenal at the weekend, while Spurs hit the post before the ghost goal that should haunt referee Martin Atkinson for the rest of his career.
Yet if the tactical framework had not been right, had the players not believed in this manager just as they so patently did not in his predecessor, good fortune would not have been enough.
Only a squad that has unity and purpose would buy into the game-plan Chelsea adopted against Barca, what became nine white shirts camped on the edge of their own penalty area for most of Tuesday.
Di Matteo, while pointing to what he has done, shrewdly still attempts to deflect praise away from himself and onto the players.
“Stability helps every player and every club,” he said. “The players know that they have to perform and they have a responsibility towards themselves and the club. You just have to try and get the best out of them.
“I’ve tried to speak to the players individually and focus them on the next task, to get them to take responsibility and make them aware of what our targets are, to bring a bit of that team spirit back and the spirit of sacrifice and passion for the game.”
Simple, yes. Unquestionably effective.
A policy that works in a strong dressing room. But you need to have strength in yourself to see it through. And Di Matteo certainly does.
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