Gianfranco Zola analysed the current state of all the top teams in Serie A, explaining his disappointment with Lazio, support of Stefano Pioli and Daniele De Rossi’s Roma star.
With nine Serie A matches left to play there are only a few certainties and many battles; Inter already have one hand on their 20th Scudetto and Milan have essentially secured their Champions League spot, but the fight for fourth and the other European spots is starting to come down to the wire.
De Rossi’s Roma sit just four points behind fourth place Bologna, giving them hope of returning to the Champions League and spoiling the dream in Emilia-Romagna. Italy could also secure a fifth spot in Europe’s premier club competition, depending on the final coefficient rankings.
Speaking on page 15 of today’s Gazzetta dello Sport, Zola first discussed the race for a Champions League finish.
“There are still nine games left, anything could happen, but I believe that, in the long run, the duel will be limited to Bologna and Roma. They are the strongest.”
He commented on his impression of Thiago Motta’s Bologna.
“I saw them live against Cagliari, they impressed me with how they are on the pitch. Bologna are a real, organized reality, the players know what they have to do. It’s a pleasure to see Thiago Motta’s team, and they’re good for Italian football.”
The former Italy striker spoke about De Rossi’s start at Roma.
“I don’t know what happened with Mourinho, but now with De Rossi you see Roma on the pitch, and you immediately understand that there are precise principles. I’m pleased because I consider Daniele an excellent coach.”
Zola touched on the stabilisation of Napoli under Francesco Calzona.
“With Calzona on the bench they found their manoeuvrability and game plan again. But they still give up too much defensively. Last year we were used to seeing Napoli very strong both in attack and defence. Now, not so much…”
He underlined his disappointment with Lazio this season.
“Disappointed, I expected more after last year’s exploits. The problem is that if you sell someone like Milinkovic-Savic and don’t replace him, it’s inevitable that you’ll face some disappointment.
