Zola: Chelsea offer came too late

The diminutive Italian leaves The Premiership to return to his native Sardinia with Cagliari, having lit up English football for years.

Zola insisted that he did not blame Chelsea for not keeping him at Stamford Bridge for longer, but admitted that their failure to provide a new deal before his contract expired made his decision to leave easier.

"Chelsea made a better offer on July 2," said Zola. "It was a difficult couple of hours but it would not have been correct to let Cagliari down after they had followed me for so long.

"There are things that are more important and it was too late to change my mind.

"I must say that it has been hard, but it has been too late.

"Although I had offers I wasn't thinking of leaving Chelsea so I put all the offers on standby.

"Chelsea were in a bad situation and we couldn't find an agreement. This went on until July 1st when my contract expired and I couldn't keep other people waiting.

"I had to do something and I decided to go.

"I do not blame Chelsea at all - they were going through a bad situation and they had bigger problems than renewing my contract.

"I'm not going to say anything about this club that has been so good for me and my family.

"Unfortunately my contract expired at a bad time when things were more important at the club, but it`s okay, maybe it had to go this way."

Zola is relishing the chance to prove himself all over again in Cagliari.

"Well it's a long story, more than anything else it's a choice of life, really," added Zola.

"I want to try a new experience and I want to go back to where I started and put myself in discussion again, I'm going to a place where everybody is going to be demanding of me.

"It makes me feel alive. It is my reputation going in and it feels good after so many years that I will be putting everything on a plate again.

"I like the challenge, I really do feel I can do something for the people that supported me and I like the idea of doing this.

"Even the best things have to have an end.

"I'm delighted that in my last year I have been able to give satisfactions for my supporters and they have given me satisfaction as well.

"It has been painful to decide to leave it and it's going to be painful in the next few months but I am determined to make my choice a good one.

"I feel revitalised because the idea of putting myself on the edge again makes me feel good and maybe I can squish something more from my old body."