Dream team: Zola (left) and Clarke still have plenty of fans
at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea players have told the
hierarchy they want club legends Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke
to become the new management team at Stamford Bridge following
yesterday's sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari.
All efforts to prise the pair away from the fantastic job they
have done at Upton Park will be fiercely resisted by
West Ham's board and Zola is also known to be keen to
see through the task he started last September. Although the Blues
hierarchy are confident that they can unveil a new manager within
the next 24 hours.
Former Barcelona head coach Franck Rijkaard has said that he
would consider the post and Sky
Sports News sources claim that only Guus Hiddink and
ex-Blues boss Avram Grant are the only two names on the Chelsea
short list.
However, Zola is the name that the players appear to want in the
Stamford Bridge hot-seat. The Italian successfully fought to keep
hold of all of his big-name stars - with the exception of Craig
Bellamy - during the January transfer window, and the Hammers are
rapidly improving, having lost only one game in the last nine and
that to champions Manchester United.
But the pull of Chelsea, where Zola spent seven years and was
voted the greatest player in the club's history by supporters in
2003, will be enormous.
The lure of a return to the Bridge will also be huge for Clarke,
who only left Chelsea in September after being sidelined by
Scolari's arrival.
The Scot is hugely respected by senior players John Terry and
Frank Lampard and played a key part in the club's two Premier
League title-winning seasons under Jose Mourinho.
Zola, though, is a fiercely loyal man and turned down overtures
to return before when Roman Abramovich took over the club six years
ago. Then, he had only just moved to Cagliari and was reluctant to
walk out on the Italian side.
Yet Zola's lawyer Fulvio Marrucco said: 'It is very difficult to
say if anything will happen, but Chelsea is a special place for
Gianfranco Zola.
'Gianfranco is very happy at West Ham and still thanks them for
giving him the opportunity to be a coach in the Premier
League.'
Chelsea are understood to be prepared to do whatever it takes to
secure Zola and Clarke and may wait until the summer to get
them.
If they refuse to walk out on West Ham, Abramovich is sure to
call upon a second-string list of targets that includes Milan boss
Carlo Ancelotti, Russia manager Hiddink and the out of work Roberto
Mancini and Rijkaard.
Ancelotti would not leave Italy until the end of the season and
Hiddink is currently working on securing a place for Russia at the
World Cup in 2010. But the Dutchman is a close friend of Abramovich
and his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen said: 'I think because of his
personal relationship with Abramovich he will definitely talk and
listen to him.
'But I think also Mr Abramovich realises that Guus has to finish
his job in South Africa.' A return for Avram Grant is extremely
unlikely and Ray Wilkins will be in charge for Saturday's Cup match
at Watford.
