Chelsea caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo has explained that he has 'no friends' and is not likely to build platonic relationships with his players.
Andre Villas-Boas was sacked last week after poor results and allegations that he had lost the respect of some members of the Blues squad.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Di Matteo had not done enough to convince the Chelsea players that he was the man to lead the club.
The 41-year-old responded by stating that his players were on side, however the Italian was insistent that any relationship he has in football is purely professional.
"I think 'friends' is a big word. I'm not sure how many friends you have," Di Matteo told The Sun. "I don't have any, actually. If someone comes up to me and says 'I met a friend of yours the other day', they are a liar.
"I don't have any friends. That's my outlook. I've had a few experiences in my life which have taught me about friendship.
"OK, I'm taking it to the extreme. But it takes a lot to become my friend. Football has made me this way. It has been experiences in life which have taught me this. But that's my private life."
Di Matteo played more than 120 matches during six years as a player at Stamford Bridge.
Robert Summerscales
