"He annoyed me" - Sir Alex Ferguson reveals the Chelsea legend he hated playing against while managing Manchester United
Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped praise on former Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola, claiming the Italian forward used to irritate him during his playing days.
Zola, who joined the west London outfit from Parma for £4.5 million in 1996, established himself as a legend during his seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge. He helped the Blues lift six trophies, including two FA Cups and one League Cup, before departing in 2003.
A technical operator renowned for his flair and dribbling, the Italian netted 78 goals and laid out 23 assists in 310 appearances for Chelsea.
One of the most skilful players to grace the #PL 🤌
Happy birthday, Gianfranco Zola! https://t.co/ZYcM99h7QM
Speaking to The Mirror, Ferguson singled out Zola as one of the players who used to be unflustered while facing Manchester United. He elaborated:
"Now, little Zola, he annoyed me. He was one of those players who was unperturbed about who he was playing against. He always seemed to have a smile on his face and that annoyed me. I said, 'How can he be enjoying himself playing against United? Nobody else does.'"
Ferguson lauded the former Napoli forward for technical ability and claimed that he had a player specifically man-mark Zola while facing Chelsea. He added:
"He was fantastic. Talented. Beautiful balance. Brave. I remember we played Chelsea in the FA Cup a couple of years ago in the treble. We got them in the early rounds and we drew 0-0 at Old Trafford and I man-marked him. That's how much respect I had for him."
Ferguson asserted that he used to relish watching Zola play and added:
"But he was a fantastic player. I loved watching him. He was enjoyable. That was the thing, for me to say that of an opponent tells you how much I admire them."
Zola, who has managed West Ham United and Watford in the past, scored just three goals in 19 overall appearances against Manchester United.
You can never get bored of watching this... #Zola20 https://t.co/RhljM2aOWt
Manchester United and Chelsea transfer target makes bold claim on his future
Speaking to Sky Sports (via Metro), LOSC Lille striker Jonathan David suggested that he would be open to a transfer in the future. He said:
"The next step is always growing, having more ambition maybe a bigger club I think. Everyone wants to play for a massive club in their life. So if I had the chance to do it, I would go for it, for sure."
David, 22, has recently been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea (via Caught Offside) on the back of his stellar start to the ongoing 2022-23 season. He has scored nine goals and contributed three assists in 12 Ligue 1 matches for Lille this campaign.
As per Transfermarkt, David is currently valued at £40.5 million.