Former Chelsea favourite Gianfranco Zola has played down speculation of a return to the London club while he concentrates on trying to win promotion to Italy’s Serie A with his current side, Cagliari.
The 37-year-old striker has been linked with a coaching role at Chelsea but has said he will decide on his future at the end of the Italian season.
”Chelsea have been very good to me in the past,” said Zola.
”I’m not sure what’s going to happen but Chelsea still has a special place in my heart.
”It will be a difficult decision. On one hand I want to carry on with what I’ve been doing for 15 years but I may have the chance to do something new.
”When the promotion is complete I will decide,” he also told Tuesday’s London Evening Standard.
”There are five games left and we can still win the league.”
Cagliari are lying second in Serie B, one point behind the leaders Palermo with five games remaining.
With five teams gaining automatic promotion this season in a restructuring of the league format, their return to the top flight is all but assured.
Zola left Stamford Bridge at the end of last season when his contract was not renewed prior to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich buying the London club.
Zola returned to Italy to play for his hometown team despite being offered new terms by Abramovich when he arrived as the owner but the Italian said that he could not go back on his word to Cagliari.
Chelsea had signed Zola from Parma in 1996/97. He played 229 games and scored 59 goals, becoming a crowd favourite at Stamford Bridge.
Along with the Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp at Arsenal, Zola earned a great deal of respect for foreign players in Britain, which helped to stimulate the massive influx of overseas imports in Premiership football. — Sapa-AFP