Roberto Di Matteo will have to wait until the end of the season to discover whether he has a long-term future as Chelsea manager.
The Blues’ form has picked up remarkably since Di Matteo replaced Andre Villas-Boas on an interim basis – culminating on Tuesday night when, despite the first-half dismissal of captain John Terry, they completed a 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona to reach the Champions League final.
His 15 games in charge have brought 10 wins, four draws and only one defeat, 2-1 at Manchester City last month.
But chief executive Ron Gourlay has ruled out an early appointment as club owner Roman Abramovich and technical director Michael Emenalo continue to consider their options.
“We are going to wait until the end of the season,” Gourlay told the Daily Express. “Robbie has done a fantastic job but we will stick to our view.”
He added on BBC Radio Five Live: “I don’t want to add any pressure on anybody at the club. There is enough pressure on us as it is.
“We said we’d review things at the end of the season and that’s the position we’re still in. We’ll see how the next few games go and then we’ll sit down as we agreed.”
Di Matteo certainly appears to have the support of the Chelsea players, and defender Branislav Ivanovic said: “He’s changed everything. He gave us support, he gave us trust, and I think he’s great.
“We have a great relationship and the results are good for us.”