LONDON • Twice an FA Cup winner with Chelsea, Gianfranco Zola knows the importance of the competition and what it means to win the oldest tournament in England.
The 52-year-old Italian, now an assistant coach to Blues manager Maurizio Sarri, has urged his team not to take the Cup lightly or to treat it as just one of four trophies they are seeking this season.
"For me, I always rated it as one of the best. It is open to everyone like football should be. It is an open competition and it feeds the dream of many people," he said at a pre-match conference ahead of today's third-round tie at home to Championship side Nottingham Forest.
"The crowd loves it, everybody does. We are trying to establish ourselves in this championship and we want to do well in the FA Cup. It is a pity the game comes when we have played so many games."
Zola also felt that striker Alvaro Morata, who has scored just one goal in his last eight games in all competitions, needed to be patient despite his drought.
ENGLISH FA CUP
3RD RD (SELECTED)TODAY
Man United v Reading
Ch111, 8.25pm
Chelsea v Nottingham
Ch111, 10.55pm
Blackpool v Arsenal
Ch111, tomorrow, 1.25am
Gillingham v Cardiff
Ch112, 10.55pm
Newcastle v Blackburn
Ch112, tomorrow, 1.25am
West Ham v Birmingham
Ch113, 8.25pm
Everton v Lincoln
Ch113, 10.55pm
Crystal Palace v Grimsby
Ch113, tomorrow, 1.25amTOMORROW
Man City v Rotherham
Ch111, 9.55pm
Newport v Leicester
Ch111, Monday, 12.25am
Woking v Watford
Ch112, 9.55pm
Fulham v Oldham
Ch113, 9.55pmMONDAY
Wolves v Liverpool
Ch111, Tuesday, 3.40am
All on Singtel TV
"I have been a striker... When you look for goals and they don't come, it happens. Mainly it is confidence," he added.
"Alvaro has to understand to be important for the club. The way we play it helps the front players to score, you have to keep working.
"This is also the big issue we have for the amount of time we have the ball. We don't create enough chances. It is part of the process, we are not the perfect team."
Following the clash today, Chelsea will travel to Wembley to take on Tottenham in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday and Zola hinted that Sarri will rotate his squad.
"You have to try to save some players," he said. "We have some players who cannot play, like Pedro, Willian and (Olivier) Giroud (due to injuries). It will leave space for others. We will rotate a little."
Off the pitch, a Chelsea supporter has been banned from attending games for three years after being found guilty of homophobic chants during the club's Premier League game against Brighton at the Amex Stadium last month.
George Bradley pleaded guilty at Brighton Magistrates' Court on Thursday to the offence of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress. The 20-year-old was also fined £965 (S$1,663).
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Unai Emery insisted that he will not take his opponents lightly when they travel to League One side Blackpool today.
The Spaniard will be in charge of his first FA Cup tie and he hopes to avoid a repeat of an outcome similar to when his Sevilla side lost to third-tier Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey in 2013.
He said: "I think we can win, we can lose, we can draw but we must be concerned. It is important also to prepare and respect every team."
REUTERS
CHELSEA V NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Singtel TV Ch111, 10.55pm
BLACKPOOL V ARSENAL
Ch111, tomorrow, 1.25am
Nov 29, 2018 · Pochettino says Spurs can beat Barcelona and make knockout round This article is more than 5 months old • Champions League win over Inter gives Tottenham belief
Champions League final: 'Liverpool have more weapons than
REIMS, France (Reuters) - Ada Hegerberg was not needed as Norway kicked off their women's World Cup Group A campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Nigeria on Saturday
Soccer: Hegerberg-less Norway canter past Nigeria | News
The statement read: "All clubs unanimously agreed it is inappropriate for European football bodies to create plans that would alter the structures, calendar and competitiveness of the domestic game and will work together to protect the Premier League." The extra matches - from six to 14 - would require a radical shake-up of the club calendar.
More European clubs oppose plan to overhaul Champions League
Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi will officiate the AFC Cup match between Myanmar's Yangon United and Cambodia's Naga World at the Thuwunna
History made as women to referee men's AFC Cup clash
PARIS (AFP) - Gianluigi Buffon will leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer after it was agreed to not renew the former Italy captain's contract, the French champions announced on Wednesday (June 5)..
World Cup winner Buffon to leave Paris Saint-Germain * 10z Soccer
* Wolves beat United 2-1 in repeat of recent FA Cup result. Find here all your favorites sports, events, teams and players for a quick access
Kulinji | Hungry Wolves beat 10-man Manchester United
Neil Warnock has held countless news conferences during his 40-year coaching career but none quite like Monday's when the Cardiff City boss spoke for the first time of his anguish at the
Fandi rues missed chances in 1-1 draw It was encouraging that his team struck back immediately after falling behind, but Singapore's 1-1 draw with Hong Kong in the Asian Football Confederation Under-23 Championship qualifier yesterday still left a sour taste in coach Fandi Ahmad's mouth.
Safuwan scores to salvage Singapore draw in Hong Kong
- Mourinho has been out of job since he was fired at Manchester United in December 2018. Ex Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly rejected offers to become the new manager of Italian side Roma.
Players rejected by Jose Mourinho who have gone on to shine
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino says his team's first-half display at Liverpool was one from a side "not ready" to challenge for the title.
The latest odds on Spurs to win the Premier League title as
LONDON (AFP) - Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said talisman Harry Kane could be out of the rest of the season after he limped off injured in the second half of his team's 1-0 Champions
Harry Kane: Tottenham striker could miss run-in - Mauricio
LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino took his share of the blame for 'sloppy' Tottenham's 1-0 Champions League semi-final first leg defeat against Ajax after admitting he used the wrong tactics. Pochettino's side made a dismal start as Donny van de Beek put Ajax ahead after just 15 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.
'I made a mistake': Pochettino takes blame but slams 'sloppy
Atletico Madrid fell to their first La Liga defeat in five months as they were beaten 1-0 at Real Betis on Sunday, missing a golden chance to close the gap with leaders Barcelona and slipping six
Soccer-Atletico title bid suffers with defeat at Betis in
Kent Eriksen Cycles was born in 2005 from a love of bikes, innovation, adventure and the outdoors. As the original founder of Moots Cycles, Kent's extensive experience in the hand built bike industry provided him the perfect opportunity to create Kent Eriksen Cyles.
0 comments:
Post a Comment