Frank Leboeuf has said that Roman Abramovich would have been stupid to overlook Roberto Di Matteo for the job as Chelsea manager.
A number of names, including Pep Guardiola, have been linked with the vacancy at Stamford Bridge but reports have now suggested that the Italian is set to be appointed on a full-time basis.
Di Matteo had taken over from Andre Villas-Boas in March and led the Blues to FA Cup and Champions League successes last season.
Leboeuf believes that his former Chelsea teammate deserves to stay on as manager having proved himself on the big stage.
"He proved in four months that he had knowledge about football and what he did was absolutely fantastic," Leboeuf told talkSPORT.
"He used the strengths Chelsea had. He knew how to cope with the situation with senior players, he put a very good atmosphere into the dressing room, and he won two titles.
"They would have been stupid not to offer him at least a year."
The Franchman played for Chelsea between 1996 and 2001.
Michael Penkman
