Championship side Birmingham City announced today that manager Gianfranco Zola had resigned following the club’s 0-2 home defeat to Burton Albion.
OFFICIAL: Gianfranco Zola has this evening resigned as Blues manager. Further details later on https://t.co/msWvrYX7SN #BCFC pic.twitter.com/hNJX1DQudf
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) April 17, 2017
Zola was appointed back in December with the club seventh in the Championship following the sacking of Gary Rowett. However, after only two wins in 23 games, Birmingham now sit 20th in the league and are only three points away from the relegation zone.
Birmingham fans had been calling for Zola to be sacked for months, but the club’s owners chose to stick by their manager. It appears that Zola decided to take matters into his own hands today and chose to resign, with growing fan unrest.
[interaction id=”58f517bf240e61ee26bf2444″]Birmingham fans were mostly pleased with the news of Zola’s departure, and reacted to his resignation on Twitter. Some fans were simply glad that Zola had finally left the club:
ZOLA IS GONE!
YESSSSSSSSSS!!
— Blues Focus (@BluesFocus) April 17, 2017
Zola tried to change too much too soon, was slow to react when things didn't work & seemed to lack basic leadership skills. #BCFC
— DavoBirmingham (@DavoBirmingham) April 17, 2017
Well that was an eventful afternoon down the blues! Not a good game but at least we got rid of Zola!! @BCFC #ZOLAOUT #bluenose #KeepRightOn
— Stacey Deeley (@MissMinott) April 17, 2017
Some fans compared Zola’s reign to that of former Birmingham manager Lee Clark, who also wasn’t popular:
Congratulations to Zola for doing the impossible: making drunk Lee Clark seem like a tactical genius.
— Phil Killarney (@PKillarney) April 17, 2017
Thank god! Didn't think it was possible to have a worse manager than Lee Clark, but Zola made Clark look world class!
— Emma (@Emma3008) April 17, 2017
Shocking to believe that lee Clark's win percentage was 3 times that of zola #clown #clueless #BCFC
— Luke Griffith (@lwgriff12) April 17, 2017
Many fans gave Zola credit for resigning and maybe giving Birmingham a better chance of staying up this season:
All this being said, credit to Gianfranco for doing the honourable thing & resigning. It might be what saves us. #BCFC
— DavoBirmingham (@DavoBirmingham) April 17, 2017
On a serious note i'd like to thank Zola for the signings and the Wolves game – not loads but if we stay up Frei etc could be huge #bcfc
— Cal (@CallumTxylor) April 17, 2017
So glad Zola has gone, terrible manager and put the club in a precarious position. Respect to him for resigning though. #BCFC
— Joseph Agnello (@ViscountViktor) April 17, 2017
Finally, many fans blamed the owners more than Zola, also wondering what the future will look like:
Zola was never the right man to manage blues, More fault on the owners shoulders. Just make the next manager the right fit for bcfc #kro
— Lee Heath (@leeheath29) April 17, 2017
Any answers from board about ridiculous sacking of rowett and thinking behind zola appointment ? What next ? Another BIG name? #BCFC
— dubsy (@dubsyr) April 17, 2017
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