Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola is excited about Monday night's FA Cup tie with Manchester United.

Zola dismisses any suggestion the FA Cup's importance has diminished during the intervening years.

"I hope not," said Zola. "I understand that the Premier League, the Champions League, they represent a lot for the club, for the players, but I am one of those that I keep believing that this is a great competition. It is one of the best I played in and I really hope that it will still be considered so by everyone.

"Wrongly, I assumed that it was considered the same value as the Italian cup and until we really won it, I didn't realise how important it was for the people, for everyone involved with the club. It's been a surprise, one of the best surprises I've had in football.

"I really like it, not just because I have a good record in it, but just because considering that everyone can compete in this, even the non-league teams, and everyone can try to reach their dream. It's magnificent, having a dream in football is amazing, and that's what I appreciate about the competition."