Zola appointed Cagliari boss

Posted Friday, December 26, 2014 by Foxsports.com

Former Chelsea striker Gianfranco Zola has been named as the new head coach of Serie A side Cagliari.

The Sardinian side announced the appointment of Zola, who finished his playing career at Cagliari in 2005, in a statement on their official website, which simply read: "Welcome back Gianfranco".

Zola, 48, replaces Zdemak Zemen who was sacked on Monday after a series of poor results left the Sardinian club third from bottom with just one win in 12 games since September. Only Cesena and Parma are below them.

The club said the 48-year-old would take his first training session when the team returned from the Christmas break on Sunday.

It is Zola's first coaching job since he left Watford in 2013.

Earlier in the day, another candidate for the job, former Italy international goalkeeper Walter Zenga, ruled himself out of the running after talks with president Tommaso Guilini.

Zenga wrote on Twitter: "I would like to thank president Tommaso Giuilii and everyone at Cagliari for thinking of me but with regret I am forced to decline. At the moment, for professional and personal reasons I intend to remain in Dubai."