Gianfranco Zola is expected to be offered the job of West Ham United manager after the club ruled out the possibility of appointing Slaven Bilic last night. Zola appears to have won the battle with Roberto Donadoni, his fellow Italian and the only other candidate being considered, but the club's board is expected to meet today to finalise its decision. If personal terms are agreed, an announcement of the successor to Alan Curbishley, who resigned last week, could take place on Thursday.

Zola lacks the experience of Donadoni, who has taken charge of three clubs in Italy as well as the national team, but it is understood that he was more impressive during his two interviews in Rome last weekend. Zola, 42, detailed his vision of attractive football, integrating youth players and explaining how the club could evolve. Also in his favour is that he played for seven seaons in England after signing for Chelsea in 1996.

Some fans will not like the idea of enlisting a former Chelsea forward - voted the West London club's best ever player by fans in 2003 - but West Ham believe that the dignified Italian is held in high regard throughout England for his exploits on the pitch. It is also believed that his promised playing style will match the fans' expectations of flowing football, rarely achieved under Curbishley. If he is appointed, he could be joined at Upton Park by Steve Clarke, the Chelsea assistant coach, who is a contender for a first-team coaching role.

Zola did not deny the possibility of being appointed when contacted last night, but he said that he was concentrating on his task as assistant coach of the Italy Under-21 team, his first coaching post since retiring from playing three years ago. They need to avoid defeat by Croatia in Varazdin this evening to ensure qualification for play-offs ahead of the European Under-21 Championship finals in Sweden next summer. “I am 100 per cent focused on the match against Croatia and I can't talk about other things now,” Zola said last night.

The former Napoli and Parma forward has held the post for two years, having been appointed as a technical consultant during an overhaul of the Italy team management after the resignation of Marcello Lippi, who led Italy to their fourth World Cup success in Germany in 2006 and was reappointed after Donadoni was sacked after this summer's European Championship finals. Zola does not have the required coaching qualifications but is working towards the Uefa Pro Licence, which is mandatory for Barclays Premier League managers, but there is not expected to be a problem in him being ratified. Paul Ince, the Blackburn Rovers manager, did not have either the Pro or B Licence when appointed this summer,

West Ham did not speak directly to Bilic. Through intermediaries, he offered to take on both the Croatia and West Ham roles, but that was not suitable to the East London club.