"Has all of the characteristics and qualities we need" - Chelsea hierarchy explain reason for Frank Lampard's appointment as interim manager

Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have released a statement following Frank Lampard's appointment as interim manager for the rest of the season.

The Blues sacked Graham Potter last week following a string of poor performances and results. Bruno Salter took charge of the team for their goalless draw against Liverpool at home on April 4.

Chelsea have now appointed club legend and former manager Lampard to get them through the season as they continue their search for a permanent manager. Boehly and Eghbali released a statement showing their faith in the Englishman to help the Blues for the rest of the season. It read (via Chelseafc.com):

"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."

They added:

"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."

Touching on Chelsea's remaining games in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, the statement read:

"We have an important game against Wolves on Saturday, and then we will turn our attention to our Champions League quarterfinal 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."

The Blues are 11th in the Premier League, 14 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, who have a game in hand. They also face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

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Frank Lampard's stats at Chelsea

As a player, Lampard played 648 games for the west London side, scoring 211 goals and providing 145 assists before leaving in 2014. He won numerous trophies with the club, including three Premier League and one UEFA Champions League.

Lampard was appointed Chelsea manager in 2019. He took charge of 84 games, winning 44, drawing 15 and losing 25. He also led the Blues to the FA Cup final in the 2019-20 season, where they lost to Arsenal in the final.

His first game back in charge of the club will be at Wolverhampton Wanderers on April 8.