Gianfranco Zola was a legendary player at Chelsea – but curiously his only return to the club since in a footballing role has been as an assistant in one of our most toxic seasons.
The notoriously hard to get along with Maurizio Sarri got Zola in as an assistant, presumably to help him in interactions with players and to get the fans onside to a degree.
Zola’s memories of that time are good, and he explained that the arrival of Jorginho with Sarri was a key part of how the Blues played. He even compared himself to the midfield metronome:
“He was the first player [Sarri] asked for, as he knew that if he wanted to put in place his own structure of football, Jorginho was a key element,” the former winger told the Athletic.
“The criticism was the same thing they said to me when I first came — the game was too physical, I wasn’t going to cope with the situation, this and that. But when you’re a smart player, you can find a way to be successful.”
It’s curious to hear players with two such distinct styles compared, but we see the point he’s making.
Both Zola and Jorginho went on to make good careers for themselves at Chelsea – and Jorginho could yet do what Zola never managed and win a league title. His Arsenal team are dangerously close to the top.
