Zola is Hammers boss

[Drogba11CFC 108]

West Ham have agreed a three-year deal with Gianfranco Zola for the Italian to become the club's new manager.

The former Chelsea striker, 42, held talks with the Hammers last week about succeeding Alan Curbishley, along with Roberto Donadoni and John Collins.

But, as revealed by BBC Sport, West Ham opted for Zola over the former Italy coach and ex-Hibernian boss, and he should be unveiled before the weekend.

"Gianfranco was our first choice," a senior club source told BBC Sport.

"We were very comfortable with the three options we had - Zola, Donadoni and Collins - but Gianfranco came out on top."

West Ham interviewed the current Italy under-21 coach last week, while chief executive Scott Duxbury then travelled to Rome to talk to him on Sunday.

The 42-year-old is currently preparing Italy to face Croatia on Tuesday in their final qualifier for the European Under-21 Championship, which they need to win or draw to qualify for the tournament in Sweden.

West Ham believe the Italian, who played for Chelsea from 1996 to 2003, has the attributes to be a big success at Upton Park. "It's true that he has no experience of managing a club side, but he knows the Premier League very well," the source added.

"His English is very good and he can talk about football with English players and inspire them.

"He has a record of developing young footballers, which is very important to us, and was obviously a world-class player.

"Experienced players like to have a manager they can respect as a footballer."

And Chelsea and England captain John Terry suggested Zola would one day go on to manager the Blues.

"I'm sure one day he'll be back at Chelsea working with us," said Terry, speaking in Zagreb, ahead of England's World Cup qualifier against Croatia.

"He's got a little bit more experience after managing Italy's Under-21 side so it'd be great for him to get more experience at West Ham and hopefully one day be Chelsea manager."

The Hammers have moved impressively quickly to recruit a manager since Curbishley resigned last Wednesday.

They had been eager to interview Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, but discounted the former West Ham defender because he wanted to continue coaching his country part-time until the end of the year.

And Getafe boss Michael Laudrup joined Spartak Moscow before the Hammers were able to speak to him.

Collins, who has managed Hibernian, also impressed in interviews, while former Italy boss Donadoni had been among the front runners before withdrawing his application on Tuesday.

"I would like to thank West Ham for approaching and speaking with me," said Donadoni.

"I welcomed the opportunity of speaking with such a prominent Premier League club and of course, the opportunity of coming to the English Premier League.

"However, it does appear that the board have not yet, after some time, come to an agreement and a conclusion on who the successful candidate should be. "It is important for me to feel that I have the full support of the club and I have therefore taken the decision to withdraw myself from the candidate shortlist for the club."

Source: BBC Sport

So what does everyone here think? I think it's a good break for the Hammers, now they'd better get beating ManUre, Arse, Spuds and LivScum.

[Laylabelle 9,351]

Best of luck to him and they better bloody be nice to him!!

[Guest Lampards Bitch]

I actually dont want West Ham to get relegated or anything ths season.....................just becuse of Zola.

He said in an interview that he expects a hositle reception from the Hammers supporters.

How can anyone hate Zola? He is the most genuine and nicest bloke on this earth..............that could actually be his down fall TBH.

[diskoviolente 425]

even Liverpool and Arsenal-supporters here told me that they loved Zola as a player and for being polite and just nice....

So, the bloody hammers should better be nice to him , too.

best thing that could have happen to them....

[.Cee 50]

Good luck to him... except when we meet them...

[Fulham Broadway 16,845]

He will hopefully just be being 'groomed' for SW 6.

I wish him all the best, and I think if they score at the Bridge he wont do a Poyet, he'll be subdued about it - consumate gent that he is.

Lets not forget how Hoddle, a yids legend came to Stamford Bridge, transformed the transfer policy, and is the catalyst for where the club is now...

[EskWeston 696]

Have to wish him all the best really. If we want him one day to manage Chelsea he will have to do a good job there with the Hammers.

[Fulham Broadway 16,845]

Zola one of 15 out of 21 from Chelsea 1997-8 season who are now in management ;

Good article in The Times

Gianfranco Zola is latest to cross bridge

New West Ham United manager continues trend of former Chelsea players trying their hand at the helm after retiring

Gabriele Marcotti

There must have been something in the air at Stamford Bridge in the 1997-98 season that has prompted Ruud Gullit's players to try their hand at management. Of the 21 men who made an appearance for Chelsea that campaign and have retired from playing, 15 have worked as managers and coaches, including Dennis Wise, Mark Hughes, Gianluca Vialli and Dan Petrescu.

It is perhaps not surprising, then, that Gianfranco Zola, who has agreed a three-year deal to become the West Ham United manager, should be handed a top job without significant experience, in the same way as Vialli (Chelsea) and Hughes (Wales) before him. What is curious is the criteria that clubs employ in doing so.

In most jobs in industry, let alone those at companies with turnovers north of £50million, relevant experience and body of work would be among the prime criteria. In Zola's case - as with the aforementioned, or Roy Keane at Sunderland or Gareth Southgate at Middlesbrough - there is little of either to go on.

Zola was Pierluigi Casiraghi's right-hand man with Italy Under-21 although his official title was “technical consultant”, because when he got the job he lacked the necessary coaching badges). But evaluating an assistant's contribution is tricky because you do not know where one coach's influence begins and another's ends.

What you can say is that, in terms of results, Italy Under-21, despite playing some excellent attacking football, did not deliver: they failed to get out of the group stage at the European Under-21 Championship finals in 2007 and were knocked out by Belgium - despite Italy enjoying a man advantage for some 70 minutes - in the quarter- finals of the Olympic Games in Beijing last month.

It seems unlikely, then, that Zola's coaching CV helped to get him the job (forget the repeated references in the media to a glowing assessment from the Italian FA; it is not as if it was going to rubbish him).

Clearly his footballing CV played a big part, as did his personality, which would have shone through in his interviews with West Ham officials. Zola is among the most universally admired Chelsea players of recent decades: a decent, likeable man who behaved like a gentleman and was often applauded by opposition supporters.

In terms of image, West Ham could scarcely have done better. But Zola brings another quality to the table, the value of which is far more debatable: he is a star. And you have to wonder, especially when juxtaposed with another alumnus of that Chelsea class, Roberto Di Matteo, how much it weighed on West Ham's minds.

Di Matteo is in his first season in charge at Milton Keynes Dons, the Coca-Cola League One club. He is a cerebral man who speaks four languages (German, Italian, French and English); a man who hit the books after retirement, earning a postgraduate degree in business along with his coaching badges. As a player, he has one Italy cap fewer than Zola and had a top-drawer career, but, partly because of his role as a midfield player, partly because of his laid-back, understated personality, he lacked Zola's star power.

And the sneaking suspicion is that this may have something to do with why - despite his obvious qualities - he is learning his trade the old- fashioned way, working his way up through the lower divisions, rather than walking into a top job.

Indeed, it is amazing how much certain clubs believe that a player's performance and personality on the pitch reflect on his ability to manage a club. There is the far too obvious fact that men such as José Mourinho, Arsène Wenger and Arrigo Sacchi were little more than pub players, while others who were genuine superstars crashed and burnt when put in charge.

But there is also subtler evidence that playing style and management style bear little correlation. Take Keane, for example. As a player he had perpetual red mist issues, chasing match officials up and down the pitch, admitting to trying

to injure a fellow professional and nearly getting into a fight in the players' tunnel before kick-off. As a manager with Sunderland he has been calm, detached and über-professional.

Zola was typically humble in addressing the issue on Tuesday night. In these two years [working with Italy Under-21] I put a lot of effort into the job and I did my best, he said. I learnt a lot, I can only hope it will be useful.

West Ham will be hoping the same.

[Ollie 4,400]

Anyone feel sick? :mellow:

Still, funny thing is the Advertisments behind him advertising XL Holidays Classico

Edited September 12, 2008 by OllieCFC

[changingman2000 35]

Good start for the wee turncoat bastard anyway today . Another couple of defeats like that and the Happy Hammers will start to get it into their head thats all a big conspiracy

[Laylabelle 9,351]

To be fair he was only watching,youth coach person was in charge so they cant blame him!!

Edited September 13, 2008 by Laylabelle

[Guest Lampards Bitch]

After thinking about this, Zola has made a fecking MASSIVE mistake going there. He wont last 5 mins there. If he doesnt win games the fans will be even more on his back. The 2 worst clubs to manage atm is West Ham and Newcastle. No sane person would want to manage them right now.

[Gianfranco_Z 202]

Anyone feel sick? :mellow:

Still, funny thing is the Advertisments behind him advertising XL Holidays Classico

I think I just died inside...

[Badboy 1,526]

The thought of zola making a game plan to beat us at stamford bridge makes me sick.

[carefreeluke 27]

As much as i want Zola too do well its a massive gamble for West Ham. Hopefully he can get off to a good start next week against managerless Newcastle. I can either see Zola being a success or a disaster im hoping he does well though. :thumbsup:

He needs an experienced number two along side him that will help him a lot.

[Kez 2,727]

Those pictures really make me sick

Even so i want him to do well, he will be Chelsea manager one day this is just a stepping stone.

Chelsea legend forever

[terry26 6]

Anyone feel sick? :mellow:

sadly

MY EYES THEY BURN