Roberto Di Matteo resigns as Schalke manager

Roberto Di Matteo was replaced by Inter Milan boss Rafael Benitez at Chelsea

Roberto Di Matteo has resigned as manager of German side Schalke after seven and a half months in charge.

Former Chelsea boss Di Matteo, 44, took over in October 2014 and steered the Bundesliga side from 11th to third.

But defeat by strugglers Hamburg on Saturday left Schalke with two wins from 10 games to miss out on a Champions League place.

Schalke ended the season sixth meaning they will compete in next season's Europa League.

The Italian led Chelsea to the 2012 Champions League title but was replaced by Spaniard Rafael Benitez after eight months.

Di Matteo said he resigned because of a difference of opinion over plans for next season following a meeting with the club's director of sport Horst Heldt.

"I offered a plan for a possible successful future and what the conditions for that would need to be," said Di Matteo, who had two years left in his contract.

"It became clear that the club had a different emphasis. This is why I decided to resign from my position as head coach."