Gianfranco Zola returns to Cagliari looking to bring the Casteddu to safety
The return of the Prodigal son. Well, not exactly. That is, Zola was a perfect son of Sardinia. He honoured her, and defended her colours well after lifting his name on the national and international scene.
“Cagliari is a special place for me. I’m here because Cagliari is a special place for me, and as a Sardinian. I’m here because I like the club’s philosophy”, tuttomercatoweb.com reports.
His predecessor, the Bohemian Zdenek Zeman, was renowned for his champagne football but not for his results. “I have great respect for him, I’m sorry to find Cagliari in this situation. I will continue Zeman’s project, there isn’t much to change. Surely, there’s room for improvement, make it more functional”.
Zola says that he saw Cagliari play live twice this year, “both times I was impressed with what I saw. I want them to come out, that our quality may blossom. We know how to attack very well. We must learn how to defend very well”.
Cagliari’s new coach reflects in his time in England both as a player and as a coach “When you’re away you understand some of your country’s strengths and weaknesses. The English experience improved me as an athlete, as a sportsman and as a human being. I hope that I’m able to make others grow with my experience”.
Zola then spoke about his philosophy of play: “The fittest will play, without exception. At Watford I played with a three man defence out of necessity, but I began with a 4-3-3. The idea is to give continuity to what has been done so far. Zeman, along with Guardiola is one of my models, and I’ve been coached by many good coaches like Sacchi and Scala. We must balance out our excellent attacking phase with our defense. I have refused many offers to come here, even though at this moment the Premiership is superior to Serie A”.
New coach brought on just as the winter transfer season is getting underway suggests that there will be some moves: “We’re evaluating the situation. First I want to see what material is at our disposal. I prefer to engage with my men before starting my analysis and drawing conclusions”.
Cagliari is currently in a relegation battle, with only 12 points accumulated at the halfway mark.
The post Cagliari unveils Zola as new manager appeared first on Italian Football Daily.
from Italian Football Daily http://www.italianfootballdaily.com/cagliari-unveils-zola-new-manager/
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