Blues urged to make Zola offer he can't refuse

Claudio Ranieri and his players are urging chairman Ken Bates to make Chelsea’s revered Godfather, Gianfranco Zola, an offer he can’t refuse to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge and play in the Champions League next season.

But the exquisitely gifted little Sardinian, 37 in July, still won’t confirm his commitment to the Blues even after their return to Europe’s top echelon was confirmed by yesterday’s triumph in the fourth-place Premiership shoot-out against strangely-listless Liverpool.