Zola: Maradona's man

Diego Maradona and Dennis Wise: Two small men (5ft 5in an 5ft 6in respectively) who had a big influence on Gianfranco Zola (all 5ft 5.5in of him). One taught the Italian the beautiful game; the other taught him how to swear. "I kept going around saying what he taught me and people looked at me in a very strange way and I didn't know why they were looking at me like that," Zola said yesterday of the first words of English which were passed on to him by Wise when the former striker arrived at Chelsea from Parma in 1996 . "I found out later, too late."

The two men (pictured right) will meet again today. It's Zola's first match in charge of West Ham United – "It's strange to see manager," next to his name he said – but it is even stranger for him to see the words executive director (football) at Newcastle United, the opponents at Upton Park, next to Wise's. "I don't know what he's doing there," Zola said jokingly but, in truth, honestly as well. "He's probably tackling someone on the board. I was quite surprised because I know he was enjoying management but that is something you have to ask him. He's had a tough time and it's a pity. He's a good man, although some people don't like him. But when he was with us he was always positive and always willing to take part and be on your side all the time."

Lots of people would like to ask Wise, a close friend of Zola's and the two have spoken in the last few days, exactly what he and the club's owner, Mike Ashley, are up to at Newcastle right now. Indeed it could be said that today's game is a meeting of the Premier League's crisis clubs, given the managerial upheaval they have suffered this season, although West Ham, having appointed Zola, hope to have steadied themselves, and would undoubtedly balk at that assessment.

Certainly, there is a breezier atmosphere at the club since the arrival of Zola and his assistant Steve Clarke, poached from Chelsea for a compensation payment of £1.2m a year, on a three-year contract following Alan Curbishley's decision to walk out because of his differences with the board that could still end in legal action being taken by the former manager.

The 42-year-old joined, after being released from his role as assistant coach to the Italian Under-21 side, with a commitment to attacking football, although that will be tested today by the absence of the injured Dean Ashton and, probably, Craig Bellamy. But Zola's way is clear. "I have my system," he said. "I like to train a lot with the ball with a lot of intensity in the sessions. I know my training sessions are very demanding, but they are always with the ball and always with a lot of enjoyment. The players have already said to me they like it very much."

As for the style of play fans can expect: "The idea is to get to the point where we play offensive football as much as possible." That commitment is in the Sardinian's blood, of course, but developed during the years he spent at Napoli first as Maradona's under-study then as his team-mate.

"When I first met him I was only 23 and just a young player trying to get better and I had him in from of me. The best player in the world, so I felt lucky," Zola said. "When you have that it inspires you to do better and it was a challenge to get my level of football to his. He spoke to me a lot. Anybody who has played with Maradona can tell you he is a lovely, simple guy. Then he was the best player in the world by far and probably the best player of all time. But it was easy to talk to him. We had a particularly good relationship and I used to stay longer on the training ground with him, trying free-kicks and playing small games."

It developed Zola's commitment to attacking football. "I was a striker and was a player who liked to play the ball and enjoy myself so that is my mentality," he said. "When I went to Naples we had a team with Maradona, Careca, Alemao – quality players – and we used to play good-looking football. That is where my ideas on playing come from."

The two men stay in touch and play exhibition matches together. Maybe one day Maradona will make it to the Boleyn Ground. But first Zola wants to pass on his message. "He had many things to tell me," he said of the Argentine. "But what I liked about him was that he always had the right solution on the pitch. So what I like to say to the players is that when they have the ball they have to be totally confident with it."

Small men in the big time: Wise, Zola, Maradona

*Dennis Wise

Born 16 December 1966

Stats 5ft 6in; 10st

Clubs Wimbledon; Chelsea; Leicester City; Millwall; Southampton; Coventry City Honours: Wimbledon FA Cup 1988. Chelsea FA Cup 1997, 2000; League Cup 1998; European Cup-Winners' Cup 1998; European Super Cup 1998; Charity Shield 2000.

*Gianfranco Zola

Born 5 July 1966

Stats 5 ft 5in; 11st

Clubs Nuorese; Torres; Napoli; Parma; Chelsea; Cagliari

Honours: Napoli Serie A 1989-90. Parma European Super Cup 1993. Uefa Cup 1993. Chelsea FA Cup 1997, 2000; League Cup 1998; Cup-Winners' Cup 1998; Super Cup 1998; Charity Shield 2000.

*Diego Maradona

Born 30 October 1960

Stats: 5ft 5in; 11st 8lb Clubs Argentinos Juniors; Boca Juniors; Barcelona; Napoli; Sevilla; Newell's Old Boys

Honours: Argentina World Cup 1986; South American Championship 1987, 1989; Napoli Serie A 1987, 1990; Uefa Cup 1989; Italian Cup 1987. Barcelona Spanish Cup 1983.