Decorated former Chelsea player Zola sacked as Al Arabi coach

Former Italy and Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola has been sacked as coach of Al Arabi, a spokesman for the Qatar Stars League side said.

Veteran Uruguayan coach Gerardo Pelusso will replace Zola, who lasted just one season in Qatar.

"Our president has said he is going to change the coach," the spokesman for Al Arabi told AFP.

Asked if Zola, who signed a two-year contract with the Doha-based club in July 2015, had been sacked, the spokesman replied: "Yes."

Despite being one of the biggest names in the Qatar Stars league, the Italian, who celebrates his 50th birthday next week, appears to have paid the price for Al Arabi's poor league form.

The club finished eighth in the 14-team league, exactly the same position and with the same number of points, 35, as the previous season.

The decision to replace Zola comes after the club installed a new president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jabr Al Thani.

Managerial changes are common at Al Arabi and Zola was the 12th coach at the club in just the past six years.

Previous Al Arabi coaches included Zola's former Chelsea team-mate Dan Petrescu and Germany's Uli Stielike.

Zola, who was voted Chelsea's greatest ever player by fans after almost seven years at the London club, has been linked to a return in England.

Recent media reports have claimed that he could become the next manager at former European champions, Nottingham Forest.

Al Arabi will be the 22nd club for Pelusso as coach.

The 62-year-old Uruguayan has previously been in charge of the Paraguayan national team and was most recently the coach of Colombian side, Santa Fe.

Courtesy: sports.yahoo.com