On the evening of August 5, the Italian Football Federation officially announced the appointment of Zola as coordinator of the youth activities program.

Official announcement from the Italian Football Federation:

Zola returns to the Italian Football Federation as coordinator of the youth activities program, with the strong support of Italian Football Federation President Malagò and Technical Director Ranieri for his inclusion to complete the federation's management structure. This appointment was also reached with the consensus of Serie C President Matteo Marani, and Zola will continue to serve concurrently as the league's acting vice-president.

He led the implementation of the "Zola Reform" named after himself, a programmatic policy that promotes more young players to play in Serie C. His work covers multiple national teams, with the core task of building a complete talent pipeline for national youth teams and working in coordination with technical coordinator Maurizio Viscidi.

Italian Football Federation President Malagò said: "His charisma, professionalism, and dedication to young players shown in Serie C over the years are the best foundation for building the future of Italian football. Thanks to Zola for accepting this job with enthusiasm and actively taking on the responsibility. Relying on Ranieri, Mancini, and Zola, we hope to open up new development prospects for Italian football."

Zola said: "I thank President Malagò for thinking of me for this position, which also proves the effectiveness of the projects I promoted within the professional Serie C, with the clubs and management. I am delighted, enthusiastic, and dedicated to contributing to Italian football, focusing on the cultivation and growth of the new generation of Italian talent."

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com