Football legend Gianfranco Zola, who is the current coach of Watford, has noticed a major difference between English and Italian football, and feels Italy could perhaps take a lesson and calm things down a bit.
The 46-year-old also revealed that he admires what Cesare Prandelli is doing for the Azzurri, as he explained that his home country have been in need of a “new mentality”.
Zola talked about these subjects to La Gazzetta dello Sport and gave further detail on the benefits of working in England.
“Aside from money, the culture mix works on different levels because there is no stress here. There is zero pressure, no problems dealing with the fans or media, yet there is no lack of motivation or ambition,” he said.
“The truth is that ideas can be translated better on to the field if you are not constantly on trial. A relaxed environment produces better performances. It’s not just me saying this, as the athletic tests prove it.
“Italy needs a new mentality and I think Prandelli’s Nazionale is pointing in the right direction. It’s not easy to match results with good football, but Prandelli is achieving that.
“When he was first appointed, I said it was an impeccable choice, but to be honest I didn’t expect the international success to be so consistent so quickly. He has the right approach and I’ve been truly stunned by Cesare’s Italy.”
The former Chelsea and Napoli star then commented on Juventus’ domination of the Serie A standings, and expressed his disappointment in the trailing teams for making Juve’s job so easy.
“I was convinced Juve would win again, as they were the favourites pre-season with an intelligently-assembled squad. They deserve great respect, but I didn’t think they’d win the title so easily.
“In all honesty, I expected more from their rivals. I thought the others would’ve been able to make life a bit more difficult for them, but instead they disappointed me.”
