Al Jazira have identified Walter Zenga as their No 1 target, should they decide to part ways with manager Luis Milla, according to a well-placed source.
Speculation that Milla’s job is at stake has been fuelled by the club’s inauspicious start to the 2013/14 Arabian Gulf League campaign, following a disappointing 2012/13 season under their Spanish coach.
Jazira, the 2010 league champions, sit fifth in the league with two wins in four matches. They have a similar tally in the League Cup, with a pair of victories and a defeat in their first three rounds.
Stretching back to last February, Milla’s reign at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium has been a turbulent one, with the Spaniard’s record reading 10 victories from 28 matches in all competitions.
They did eventually finish third in the league last season and played in May’s Etisalat Cup final, only to be upset by Ajman. A summer of substantial recruitment had again raised expectations at the club, but the investment has not produced results on the pitch.
As a result of this season’s struggles, Jazira have turned their attention to Zenga, whose reputation within UAE football remains high. In his previous role at Al Nasr, the Italian led the club to third and then second in the table, before a disappointing sixth-placed finish last term prompted Nasr and their coach to part company. Zenga is still a Dubai resident and earlier this summer spoke of a desire to continue his career in the Emirates.
When contacted, Jazira dismissed the link as speculation, though it is understood that a poor result in Friday’s league fixture with Al Dhafra could make it Milla’s last.
sports@thenational.ae