Gianfranco Zola is leaving his World Cup punditry role with African broadcaster SuperSport and is returning to England – but has stopped short of admitting he is to become Maurizio Sarri’s No 2 at Chelsea. Footage of Zola bidding his fellow broadcasters farewell in the early stages of the World Cup emerged across social media on Tuesday night.
‘I’ll be trying to watch you on my TV in England when I go back,’ Zola said, before being pressed on the links to a Chelsea return. ‘I was afraid you were going to ask me this. Really, I don’t know. There are a lot of rumours about me, at the moment nothing has happened. We will see what happens in the future. At the moment it is only talking, nothing is decided.’ He added.
Reports of Zola’s Stamford Bridge return first emerged in Italy last week, with La Gazzetta dello Sport saying that Sarri wanted the former Chelsea man to assist him when he eventually takes over the club.