It had always been pretty clear that Simone Zaza wasn’t happy during his time at West Ham, and his performances in London didn’t help the situation either.
Signed on a loan deal from Juventus in the summer of 2016, the player stayed at the club for only a few months, and couldn’t manage to score a goal in any of his 11 appearances for the Hammers.
Zaza was sent back to Juventus in January this year, and immediately sent on another loan to Valencia, where he scored six goals in 20 games, and convinced the Spanish club to buy him permanently.
Valencia spent €16m to sign the player this summer, and it was worth the investment, so far at least, because the former West Ham striker now has six goals in seven appearances this season, with an average of one goal per 89 minutes.
That’s why his mood is high, and there’s no need for his father and agent Antonio Zaza to be afraid of giving interviews talking up his son.
He’s spoken to Calcio Mercato, and besides talking about how great the striker has been, Antonio was asked if there’s any choice they wouldn’t make again. That’s the only time West Ham were brought up in the interview.
“Going to West Ham,” he said. “Simone has paid, on a moral level, missing the penalty in the Euro. Then he was not well in London, with the weather and even with the kind of methods of his former manager.”
Zaza’s manager at West Ham was Slaven Bilic, who despite some ups and downs, is still in charge of the club.
But is he the one to blame? Before Zaza’s hat-trick against Malaga last month, the Italian wasn’t having a great time, and his girlfriend even sent public criticism out about the club’s manager.
When Zaza does well, it’s all down to him, and when he does poorly, like at West Ham and earlier this season at Valencia, it’s the fault of the manager.
