Rome: Struggling Seria A club Cagliari have appointed former Italy player Gianfranco Zola as new coach, who succeeds Zdenek Zeman.
Cagliari said that Zola, 48, who ended his playing career at the club 2003-2005 and has managed West Ham and Watford in England, will start conducting training Monday after the Christmas break. His first match is on January 6 at mid-table Palermo.
Cagliari said Zola and assistant coach Pierluigi Casiraghi, also a former Italy player, will use their “international experience and their winning mentality ... to get the results that all the fans of Cagliari deserve.”
The tenure of the Czech Zeman ended Tuesday after five months in the wake a 3-1 home defeat against champions and leaders Juventus last week. The former Roma coach won just two games for 12 points in 16 games as Cagliari rank third bottom.
