Lampard returns on an interim basis to help Chelsea.
On Thursday, Frank Lampard returned to Chelsea as caretaker manager until the end of the season, little over two years after being fired by the Premier League team.
Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer Lampard previously managed the club from July 2019 to January 2021, when he was replaced by Thomas Tuchel.
The 44-year-old returned to Stamford Bridge after Tuchel’s successor Graham Potter was fired on Sunday, with the club in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Chelsea co-controlling shareholders Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali issued a statement saying, “We are happy to welcome Frank back to Stamford Bridge.”
“Frank is a Premier League Hall of Famer and a club legend.”
“As we move forward with our extensive and exhaustive search for a permanent head coach, we want to give the club and our fans with a clear and stable strategy for the rest of the season.”
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Lampard “has all of the attributes and qualities we need to propel us to the finish line,” according to the statement.
The former England player has been unemployed since January, when he was fired by relegation-threatened Everton after only a year in charge.
Chelsea still has nine league games left this season, beginning with a trip to Wolves on Saturday, followed by the opening leg of their Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid.
Lampard sat in the stands on Tuesday as a Blues team led by caretaker manager Bruno Saltor drew 0-0 with Liverpool to begin the post-Potter era.
Despite spending more over £500 million ($623 million) on new players this season, the west London club is 11th in the rankings, 14 points behind the top four.
Former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique is said to have flown into London on Wednesday to meet with Chelsea executives regarding a full-time post.
Julian Nagelsmann, recently fired by Bayern Munich, is also expected to be a possibility.
Lampard previously managed Chelsea, leading them to the 2020 FA Cup final, which they lost 2-1 to Arsenal. He joined the Blues following one season in command of second-tier Derby.
