Arsene Wenger last night hailed Gianfranco Zola as the best player he never signed.
Wenger will be in the opposite dug-out to Zola for the first time tomorrow admitting the West Ham boss would have been perfect for his Arsenal team.
Gunners boss Wenger also believes Chelsea legend Zola will prove to be a successful manager - and will show nice guys don't always come last.
Wenger said: "He was an Arsenal player, he went in the wrong direction!
We had Bergkamp and we had Kanu and we had Pires.
"He had a team mentality as well, he wasn't only a star player. I like him as a player, as a man, and I am sure he will be a good manager.
"He has to be given time because he has just come in. In the Premier League now it is massive pressure and you have to feel first that you have been given time when you come into a job like that. I am sure he will do well."
Wenger has revealed that he is set to fine fit-again club captain William Gallas after he was pictured with an unlit cigarette in his mouth when leaving a nightclub - even though the Arsenal manager admits he used to smoke.
He added: "In France we all smoke. I've been on buses where you wouldn't believe it - you couldn't see each other. When I was a young coach sometimes I had one because my assistant would have one."
lolololololololololololol zola for Chelsea!
was he a gunner before? i dont rem that...
Originally posted by Givach:was he a gunner before? i dont rem that...
He said best player he never signed. ![]()
Hope zola bring in more flair italians like di michele into epl.....then can revive memories of di canio and carbone when they were playing epl.....
yesh....more italians like carbone and di canio, ravanelli...![]()
true! ZOLA one of the best of his times!