Zola Hired as West Ham Manager
Gianfranco Zola Signs 3 Year Deal to Become Hammers Manager
Previous manager Alan Curbishley had left after having issues with the West Ham board over recent transfers. Zola will hope that such issues will not arise due to his friendship with West Ham Technical Director Gianluca Nani - a fellow Italian - who was the main person in charge of the transfers.
Caretaker manager Kevin Keen will remain in charge for West Ham's next game against West Brom, making currently manager-less Newcastle at Upton Park on the 20th September Zola's first game in charge. West Ham have only had twelve managers in their history, however Zola becomes their fifth manager in seven years and their first manager from outside the UK.
Zola's Lack of Managerial Experience
Zola has never actually managed a club side before. He only holds a Uefa B license, however he is being allowed to manage on condition he gets a Uefa Pro License by 2010. After leaving Chelsea he played for Italian side Cagliaria, from his native Sardinia, and then went on to assist former Chelsea team-mate Pierluigi Casiraghi in managing Italy's U21 team who reached the quarter-finals of the Olympics in Beijing.
However, the BBC reported in the article 'West Ham unveil Zola as new boss' on their website that according to Chief Exec Scott Duxbury, Zola was the "unanimous choice" of the West Ham board despite his lack of managerial experience.
Zola himself has no doubts, stating "I know I am not the most experienced manager, but I have ideas and have been involved in football for 20 years".
Steve Clarke Wanted as West Ham Assistant Manager
Zola refused to confirm reports that he wants current Chelsea assistant coach Steve Clarke to make the journey across London to become his number two. Clarke was one of Zola's coaches whilst he was a Chelsea player and has been a visible figure in Chelsea's recent success. Zola did confirm that he was bringing in Antonio Pintus as West Ham's new Fitness Coach and that Kevin Keen would remain at the club.
Zola's Attacking Style of Play
Zola wowed Premier League crowds when he was playing for Chelsea; his quality and attacking ethos won him many fans from many different clubs, as well as six European and domestic trophies for the blues, including the FA Cup in 1997 & 2000 and the European Super Cup in 1998.
The last piece of silverware that West Ham won was the Intertoto Cup in 1999. They reached the FA Cup final in 2006, losing to Liverpool on penalties, and finished 10th in the league last season. After saying that "the philosophy will be to play attacking football", West Ham fans will be hoping that Zola is able to mould his new team to play in his attacking and successful style.
West Ham Sponsors XL Go Bust
The first issue of Zola's managerial tenure at West Ham will be dealing with their current sponsors XL, who have recently gone into administration. In 'West Ham sponsor cash blow', the BBC estimate that West Ham could lose up to £5million due to XL going bust. If such reports are correct then Zola could find himself unable to buy the players he wants in the January transfer window.
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