West Ham invest hope in Zola
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Article summary
West Ham United FC have appointed Gianfranco Zola as their new manager on a contract until 2011, with the 42-year-old former Italy forward taking the place of Alan Curbishley who resigned last week.
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First senior role
It is the first senior coaching role for the 42-year-old Zola, who had been assisting former national-team colleague Pierluigi Casiraghi with Italy's Under-21 side, leading them to the 2009 UEFA European U21 Championship play-offs. He will have a three-year contract, beginning on Monday, and will work closely with Gianluca Nani, the Italian brought in to serve as technical director at Upton Park in March.
Zola's delight
"I am very delighted to be here," Zola said. "It's a great honour for me to be involved in such an important job. And I can promise I will do my best to improve this club. It's a club with tradition, that develops good talents and I am here to develop the team, the players. That is my duty, and I will give my all and give the players all my experience."
English experience
English football will hold no surprises for Zola, who will watch from the stands as caretaker manager Kevin Keen remains in charge for Saturday's Premier League visit to West Bromwich Albion FC. He had a hugely successful seven-year association as a player with Chelsea FC, West Ham's London rivals, making 229 Premier League appearances and scoring 59 times. Zola, who also struck the winning goal for the Stamford Bridge outfit in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against VfB Stuttgart, left Chelsea in 2003 to wind down his playing career back in Italy with Cagliari Calcio.
Italian contingent
Zola made a big impression with the West Ham hierarchy at an interview in Rome last weekend. By accepting the challenge of becoming the 12th manager in the Irons' history, he has the opportunity to establish his coaching credentials with a team who finished tenth in the Premier League last season and who have begun the new campaign by taking six points from three matches. He should have no problem settling in at West Ham given their growing Italian contingent, which includes not just Nani but also striker David Di Michele and two leading members of the medical staff brought in during the summer.
