Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola says he 'feels sorry' for England but always longs for the Three Lions to do well in international fixtures and tournaments.
- "I think we helped the system. The system helped us too because at the end of the day we had so much pleasure and good times. We feel like we owe something to the English league more than they owe to us."
- "Of course I am an England fan too; it is my second home. I always long to see them doing well. I feel sorry that they haven’t reach the heights that they are capable of, up to this point."
- "The key for England succeeding is handling the pressure. Quality wise, they aren’t second to anyone. It’s a big competition and there will be attention and expectations on the players so the way they handle it will make the difference."
- "Finding a good momentum is key. If you remember Italy three years ago, they got good results from the very start of the tournament. The morale just increased, and they overcame all the obstacles as their confidence grew. England must do that. If they can find a good momentum, they can go all the way."
- "If I could steal a player from England and put them in the Italian squad, I would take Harry Kane. He is one of those really important players and we lack goals sometimes, so he is the first pick."
Of course I'm an England fan... they can go all the way in Germany
My life in England will always be a big part of me. I still go there a lot and I feel at home there. When I meet supporters even now we have a chat, we talk about our times, and what I always appreciate about those supporters is that they always remember. They have a long memory. You play for them twenty years ago and they always remember and thank you for what you did. For me this is remarkable, not all fans do that, and I really appreciate that.
Moving to England from Italy in 1993 was hard. In those days the Italian league was the best in the world and everyone was coming to Italy and I was actually leaving. It felt like I was going backwards but honestly I went there wanting to be successful and help the team grow and the league. Altogether we did a very good job, and we helped the team and the league to become better. I am not just talking about myself, I am talking about the likes of Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Di Matteo, Frank Leboeuf... we made our contribution and at the end of the day, I think we helped the system. The system helped us too because at the end of the day we had so much pleasure and good times. We feel like we owe something to the English league more than they owe to us.
Of course I am an England fan too; it is my second home. I always long to see them doing well. I feel sorry that they haven’t reach the heights that they are capable of, up to this point. It is complicated though. Strength and ability isn’t everything, you sometimes need to be lucky too and I hope this is England’s time.
The key for England succeeding is handling the pressure. Quality wise, they aren’t second to anyone. It’s a big competition and there will be attention and expectations on the players so the way they handle it will make the difference. There will be moments in the tournament where they will be tested, and those moments will determine if they get to the end or not.
If I look at the England team now, I don’t see any weaknesses, ability-wise, to be honest. They really are strong in every position on the pitch and have so much variety. I think the key will be how they handle the pressure moments and playing with courage. If they do that, they can beat anybody. There are no technical or tactical problems. Finding a good momentum is key. If you remember Italy three years ago, they got good results from the very start of the tournament. The morale just increased, and they overcame all the obstacles as their confidence grew. England must do that. If they can find a good momentum, they can go all the way.
If I could steal a player from England and put them in the Italian squad, I would take Harry Kane. He is one of those really important players and we lack goals sometimes, so he is the first pick. I would also love Phil Foden. He’s on fire at the moment.
