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Roberto Di Matteo: Support from John Ter
John Terry has urged his Chelsea team-mates to help Roberto Di Matteo land the manager's job full-time by winning Saturday's FA Cup final.
Blues captain Terry issued a ringing endorsement of caretaker boss Di Matteo ahead of the Wembley showpiece against Liverpool.
Clinching the FA Cup would boost Di Matteo's hopes of convincing Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to hand him the reins permanently, something that would have the full backing of former team-mate Terry.
"It would do him no harm at all," Terry said.
"He's obviously done very well in the league and all competitions to get us where we are today.
"To win it (the cup) will put himself in a very good position.
"He's not thinking of that at the moment, he's not letting the players get distracted by anything.
"He's very passionate, he's Chelsea through and through, and that's certainly rubbed off on the players.
"So, if we can do it with the added bonus that Robbie can get the job at the end, that'd be great."Di Matteo has transformed Chelsea's season since replacing the sacked Andre Villas-Boas two months ago and is also on the brink of leading them to Champions League glory.
Terry added: "He's done really well and you often see actually when teams are not going so well, a change of management can really help things along, and it's certainly done that since he's come in.
"He's brought Eddie Newton in, who's obviously played for the club as well, so they both represent Chelsea Football Club, which is an added bonus."
Terry insisted Chelsea's players never lost faith they could salvage something from their season, even when others had.
"If you look at the quality we've got throughout the squad, it's always been here," he said.
"We've got immense talent here, the hunger as well to win trophies and keep winning them year after year.
"We're obviously delighted because, a few months ago, nobody probably would've called where we are today."
Terry admitted victory tomorrow would be the ideal way to prepare for the Champions League final a fortnight later, which Chelsea will almost certainly have to win to qualify for next season's competition following Wednesday's crushing defeat to Newcastle.
Terry refused to concede fourth place in the Barclays Premier League and also played down his own suspension for the May 19 showdown with Bayern Munich.
"It's not going to be difficult to watch the game in Munich," he said.
"I'm delighted that the club are there. This club deserves it.
"We have seen the disappointment in the Champions League over the years where we haven't had the luck.
"This year, the luck seems to be on our side and hopefully it could be our year."
Chelsea enjoyed no end of luck after Terry was sent off in the Champions League semi-final, something he can help make amends for by lifting the FA Cup for the fourth time tomorrow.
"Sometimes, players wait all their lives for this opportunity," he said.
"We had a good manager and a good set of players to set us on our way many years ago.
"You look at the Man United side and (Paul) Scholes, (Ryan) Giggs and those kind of players and the hunger to keep winning things.
"When you get a taste of it, you really want to be in the thick of things at the end of the season, which we are."
There is also the added incentive of beating a Liverpool side who have proven Chelsea's nemesis at times in recent years, especially in cup competitions.
Terry said: "There have been some good games, some good rivalry as well between the two sides and, obviously, both clubs and sets of players know each other very well.
"There are no hidden agendas tomorrow.
"They've rested a few players in the week, very much like ourselves.
"So both sets of players are going to be fit and ready to go."
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