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Roberto Di Matteo hopes players will shake hands

Di Matteo hopes players will shake hands
© PA Photos
Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo wants the handshake ritual to go ahead as usual when his side face QPR tomorrow.

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has revealed that he hopes the pre-match handshakes between his side and Queens Park Rangers will be respected tomorrow.

The match will be the first between the two sides since Chelsea captain John Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand.

The Premier League have insisted that the two sides will shake hands, but QPR manager Mark Hughes will let his players make up their own minds.

Di Matteo, however, hopes that both sides will shake hands, and that the match will be played in good spirit.

"I hope that they will [shake hands] as well respect the rules and go ahead with it and we can all focus on the football," he said.

"I know 'Sparky', Mark Hughes, very well and we touch base every now and again, and speak. Hopefully, everybody will focus on football tomorrow and move on.

"That's the most important aspect. The Premier League is watched all over the world now and we have to set a good positive standard for everyone watching. The handshake is just part of that, part of the Respect Campaign. Hopefully, the game will be played in good spirit."

QPR striker Bobby Zamora has already outlined his intention to shake Terry's hand.

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