Will Gianfranco Zola be returning to Stamford Bridge this summer?

Premier League Chelsea are being linked with a summer move for former star Gianfranco Zola.

The enigmatic Italian is currently out of work after being fired as West Ham manager just under a year ago.

Coach

The Blues are interested in employing Zola as a coach, possibly even as an assistant manager.

He is not however being considered as a replacement for compatriot Carlo Ancelotti. It’s thought he will use his knowledge and experience to help the Chelsea coaching staff and players.

Poor

His coaching abilities were questioned by a large number of pundits and people inside football after his failure to get results with West Ham. He wanted to play attractive-forward thinking football.

Unfortunately for him his players didn’t have the ability or mentality to take on board his ideas and the club struggled for results. He was seen by many as too nice a guy to be a number one.

However as a member of a coaching staff then he will have a lot to give. He also has the sort of enthusiasm that is infectious. He is the sort of guy that would be good to have around the Chelsea dressing room.

Hero

West Ham fans may not consider him a hero but at Stamford Bridge he is considered one of Chelsea’s all-time greats after a superb spell at the club as a player. The tiny striker spent six years at the Bridge and the Blues fans loved his silky skills and enthusiasm

I don’t think there are many Chelsea fans who wouldn’t want him back at the club in some form or another. Zola is also regarded as one of the finest foreign players to ever grace a Premier League pitch.

Zola was part of a team who started the club on their way to where they are now. He was the inspiration behind some magic moments in the late-nineties and early noughtie’s. And is fondly remembered by many fans for the way he played the game.

Ancelotti

It seems that Zola’s appointment hinges on whether his compatriot Carlo Ancelotti stays at Chelsea this summer. The former-AC Milan boss’s future is in doubt with Chelsea’s Premier League title bid all but over.

Ancelotti himself has admitted that his future at the Bridge is in question but has stated that he wants to stay at Chelsea. However it isn’t his decision. Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich is believed to be seriously considering Ancelotti’s future with the reigning Champions.

Love

Gianfranco Zola has never hidden his love for Chelsea. When he was West Ham boss he even stated that he would one day like to manage the Blues. That statement came after he made a decent start as Hammers manager.

The possibility of him becoming Chelsea manager looks very unlikely at the moment. However if he learns his trade as a coach and the maybe moves on to another managerial job he could well return to the Bridge as number one in the future.

As it stands though Gianfranco Zola returning to Chelsea this summer would good for everybody involved.

The club’s players will get a knowledgeable coach, Zola will get another chance to develop his coaching abilities and the Chelsea fans will see the return of one of their former idols.

Chelsea have everything to gain and nothing to lose from Zola’s presence on the  backroom staff and I believe it would be a shrewd move to bring him back to the club.

Will Gianfranco Zola return to Chelsea this summer?