“And I was still drinking breast milk at 20.” Zola on Bellingham’s precocious play

Former Italian national team player, ex-Birmingham coach Gianfranco Zola humorously assessed the play of 20-year-old Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham.

On Tuesday, the English beat Italy in the Euro 2024 qualifying match with a score of 3:1, the 20-year-old player scored an assist and earned a penalty.

Bellingham is a graduate of Birmingham and at the beginning of his professional career played for this club, which was then coached by Zola (from 2016 to 2017). In 2020, Jude moved to Borussia Dortmund at the age of 17, and in the summer of 2023 he became a Real Madrid player.

– Let me ask, where were you when I was coaching Birmingham? I would have flirted with you even at 12 years old! I have to say this makes me laugh because at 20 I was still drinking breast milk. Of course, not literally,” Zola said jokingly on Channel 4.

Bellingham appreciated Zola’s humor and laughed out loud during the interview.

Let us add that at the age of 20, Zola, a future player for Napoli, Parma and Chelsea, moved from the Nuorese club to Torres, which represented the fourth Italian division.