The story of Gianfranco Zola being denied entry into Stamford Bridge by a steward made international headlines. It was a misunderstanding that was promptly defused by Rio Ferdinand with a joke: “Zola owns this pitch.” Gianfranco Zola himself retold the anecdote to Sky Sport during a conference organized by WyScout: “It is true that they did not want me to enter Stamford Bridge; he did not get a good look at me. Now the steward has changed jobs (he says laughing), but it was an amiable incident. Rio was ready to make a joke.”
Magic Box, the nickname which was given to him in London, also spoke about Conte and his time at Chelsea: “Conte does not need my approval. He is appreciated by the public, fans, and his colleagues. Antonio deserves it because he works a lot. He also manages to renew this union between Chelsea and Italy; a union which works and brings about good results. The possibility that I become the coach of Inter? I was close, but I knew that it was a popular position and many coaches were attempting to get the job. For a moment I flirted with the idea, and it would have brought me great pleasure. Nonetheless, it remains an honor to have been considered by them. Inter’s project has enormous potential. Inter has great history and this provides a guarantee along with their financial stability. It is a serious project; there are great possibilities. Then it is necessary that results arrive in order to allow everything around the club to blossom and grow.”
