Just over two years after being fired by the Premier League club, Frank Lampard made a surprise return to Chelsea on Thursday to serve as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
Lampard, who holds the record for most goals scored by Chelsea, was the team’s manager from July 2019 to January 2021, when Thomas Tuchel took over.
The 44-year-old’s sudden return to Stamford Bridge came after Tuchel’s successor, Graham Potter, was let go on Sunday, leaving the club in the Premier League’s bottom half.
In a statement, Chelsea co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said, “We are delighted to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge.”
“Frank is a legend at this club and a member of the Premier League Hall of Fame.
“We want to provide the club and our fans with a clear and stable plan for the remainder of the season as we continue our thorough and exhaustive process for a permanent head coach.”
Lampard “has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line,” according to the statement.
After less than a year in charge, the former England midfielder was fired from his position by relegation-threatened Everton in January.
Chelsea have nine premier league games this season, beginning with Saturday’s visit to Wolves, which is trailed by the first leg of their champions league quarter-last against holders Real Madrid.
On Tuesday, Lampard was in the stands as a Blues team led by interim manager Bruno Saltor began the post-Potter era with a goalless draw against Liverpool.
Despite spending over £500 million ($623 million) on new players this season, the west London club is 11th in the table, 14 points behind the top four.
Luis Enrique, a former Spain and Barcelona coach, reportedly flew into London on Wednesday to meet with Chelsea officials to discuss the full-time position.
Julian Nagelsmann, a highly sought-after German who was recently let go by Bayern Munich, is also thought to be a contender.
After spending one season as the manager of second-tier Derby, Lampard joined Chelsea and led them to the FA Cup final in 2020, where they were defeated by Arsenal 2-1.