Redknapp replaces Zola as Birmingham City have three games to save Championship status

Gianfranco Zola announces his resignation as Birmingham City manager
Gianfranco Zola announces his resignation as Birmingham City manager (credit: BluesTV)

Gianfranco Zola has quit as Birmingham City manager after a disastrous four months in charge, with the club having just three games to avoid dropping into English football’s third tier for the first time in 22 years.

Birmingham City have moved quickly to replace him, announcing former West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp as the new manager on Tuesday morning. The length of his contract has not been revealed.

Xola, who joined the St Andrews club after the surprise dismissal of Gary Rowett in December, had won just two of his 22 league matches. The club were in seventh position when he took over and are now in 19th place in the Championship.

An Easter Monday defeat to relegation rivals Burton Albion – their ninth consecutive game without a win – saw the clubs swap places. Birmingham City are now just three points and two places above the relegation zone, but with a worst goal difference than the two teams below them, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers.

Championship league table before and after - Birmingham City under Gianfranco Zola

Zola quit after the match and in his post-match press conference explained that he thought “the club deserves the best chance”.

He said: “I am sorry because I came here with huge expectations. There were a lot of expectations from the people at the club and from myself, but unfortunately results have not been good and I take full responsibility for that.

“I’ve been the first one to be disappointed about the results is me so I have decided to do this.”

They now have three games to secure their Championship status, starting with a visit to city rivals Aston Villa. If results go against Birmingham City, they could be in the relegation zone by the time that game kicks off at midday on Sunday.

In a statement, it added “The futures of Gianfranco’s backroom team – Pierluigi Casiraghi, Gabriele Cioffi, Kevin Hitchcock, Andrea Caronti and Sebastiano Porcu – will be decided in due course.

“Birmingham City would like to place on record their thanks to Gianfranco for his efforts.”

Gianfranco Zola explained the reasons for his departure in the post-match press conference, recorded by BluesTV

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