Frank Lampard would be ‘fantastic for Chelsea’, says Blues coach and former team-mate Carlo Cudicini

FRANK LAMPARD becoming the next Chelsea manager would be “fantastic” for the club, claims former team-mate Carlo Cudicini.

The Derby boss is the hot favourite to replace Maurizio Sarri, who left West London for Serie A champions Juventus.

Current assistant Chelsea coach Cudicini, who played alongside Lampard for eight years, has backed the potential appointment of club’s greatest goalscorer.

Cudicini told The Standard: “It’s hard to give an opinion until the club have announced a new manager.

“But I know Frank, I played with Frank. I think that, for the club, it would be fantastic.

“He has just started his career, but in football you can’t really plan much. Sometimes, a chance comes along and if you have the chance, you have to take it.

“Obviously, for the club, he was such an important player and potentially as a coach he can be too. I think he has all the ability to become a great coach, but he has just started.

“He had an important season at Derby, so we’ll see what happens.”

Cudicini played for Chelsea legend against Real Madrid legends at the Bernabeu, with the Blues losing 5-4.

Former Chelsea keeper Cudicini was joined by former Blues captain Marcel Desailly in backing Lampard as the new Stamford Bridge boss.

Desailly said: “I’m happy if he gets the job, it’s obvious, he was one of my team-mates before.

“We need to understand and to trust the fact that every single time Abramovich or the management of Chelsea have been able to get the correct coach to go for victory.

“Europa League this year, third position, we were not very pleased about the way Chelsea played this year but how do you want them to go forward and win?

“Sarri, they found him from somewhere, so I’m sure they will find another coach, now that they cannot buy new players, who has a good philosophy to use the players that they have at the moment, from Pedro, to Willian, to [Olivier] Giroud, to have a better tactical setup.”