Chelsea icon Gianfranco Zola is set for a return to managerial duty, following his sacking from Cagliari earlier this season, with Championship side Brentford, according to The Daily Mail.
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The former striker was dismissed by Serie A side Cagliari last month after he failed to win a single game in three months, but was in attendance at Griffin Park for the Bees’ 2-2 draw against Bolton Wanderers.
Zola does have previous managerial experience in England with West Ham United and Watford, where he took the Hornets to the Playoff final before losing 1-0 to Crystal Palace. After meeting with Brentford owner Matthew Benham, it is thought the Italian is top of the list to see in a more continental approach at the London club, with current incumbent Mark Warburton already having been told to leave in summer.
The overhaul at Brentford comes with Benham wanting to follow the lead of his Danish side FC Midtjylland, on the cusp of winning the Superliga, sitting 11 points clear at the top. The club owner had been looking at a number of coaches from Spain and France, as well as Italy, with Rayo Vallecano’s Paco Jemez being a previous favourite for the job.
Should talks between Zola and Benham go well, the Italian will need to employ a statistics man at his side in a mathematical modelling at the club.
The Bees, of course, could still win promotion to the Premier League this season, sitting three points below the Playoff spots with two games remaining, meaning Zola could come up against his former club in Chelsea.