Mauricio Pochettino will once again manage at Soccer Aid this summer, as Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard make their return to Stamford Bridge.
The charity match, which has raised more than £90million for UNICEF since 2006, will be played on June 9, and Pochettino will take charge of the World XI side for the second year in a row.
He was in the Old Trafford dugout last time but it will be in familiar surroundings in the summer for the Chelsea boss and his assistant Jesus Perez, with the match being held this year in west London.
Lampard will be back at Stamford Bridge, with it announced that he will manage the England team, along with Harry Redknapp and Robbie Williams.
The 45-year-old has had two spells as Chelsea boss, with the most recent of those coming at the end of last season when he was named caretaker manager following the departure of Graham Potter.
“Playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Stamford Bridge is special – for any player, on any occasion,” Lampard said, after his involvement at Soccer Aid was made official.
“I’m excited to be doing that again – this time with Soccer Aid for UNICEF.”
Lampard is assured of a warm reception and so too is Hazard, who will play at Stamford Bridge for the first time since he left Chelsea to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2019.
Hazard won two Premier League titles and twice lifted the Europa League during his seven-year spell with the Blues, before completing a £89m move to Real.
That proved to be an unsuccessful transfer, with Hazard ending his injury-hit time in Spain when his contract was terminated a year early. The 33-year-old announced his retirement from professional football in October.
“My Chelsea family – I am coming home on Sunday 9th June! I can’t wait to see you all again,” Hazard said.
“Playing at Stamford Bridge was always amazing. We won so many trophies together there. Some of the very best memories I have in football – seven brilliant years. I miss them.”
Hazard will be joined in Pochettino’s World XI squad by the likes of Usain Bolt, Roberto Carlos and Tommy Fury.
More players will be confirmed in the coming weeks, but Jill Scott, Stuart Broad, Jack Wilshere and Sir Mo Farah will all be involved for England, who have not won this match since 2018.
