Di Matteo focused on victory

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

Di Matteo hopes to leave the scandals surrounding the club behind.

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo believes the passionate atmosphere of the London derby against Tottenham on Oct. 20 is the ideal stage for his players to focus on football in the wake of recent off-field scandals involving John Terry and Ashley Cole.

Terry serves the first of his four-game ban after being found guilty of racist language toward QPR’s Anton Ferdinand last season.

But it is the first time the Chelsea players face Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas since the former Stamford Bridge manager was sacked in March after a tormented nine-month reign.

Di Matteo worked under Villas-Boas at Stamford Bridge before replacing the 35-year-old former Porto manager as caretaker when he was sacked.

“We will be very focused playing against Tottenham. We haven’t won in the league there since 2005, it is a very long time. I don’t think it is about revenge,” Di Matteo said.

A win would move fifth-placed Spurs within two points of Chelsea and Villas-Boas said: “In the end there is one thing which has been to a certain extent blown out of proportion - this is certainly not a personal matter.”