Didier Drogba is not to blame, says Gianfranco Zola

Gianfranco Zola yesterday defended Didier Drogba's coin-throwing attack - and pleaded for Premier League players to be shown more respect.

The former Chelsea star and new West Ham manager insisted Drogba's rash act of throwing a coin into the crowd was "understandable" given the abuse he was receiving from Burnley fans.

The FA and Metropolitan Police yesterday confirmed they are investigating after the £24million striker was caught on camera committing the offence during Chelsea's Carling Cup defeat by Burnley when he was goaded by visiting fans after scoring.

In 2002 Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was given a three-game ban by the FA for committing the same offence at Highbury.

But Zola urged calm yesterday and revealed even he faced difficulty maintaining his composure in such hate-filled atmospheres. "The crowd has to respect the players and the other way around," he said.

"Players should compose themselves in that situation but you have to understand they are human beings and when you are playing in a match - an important match - you are under pressure.

"Sometimes your composure can be lost. But it's not easy. You are walking on the edge all the time.

A little bit of common sense is always good on both sides.

"I've been an athlete and when you are struggling on the pitch it's not easy to keep your composure.

"There have been a couple of games where I was struggling on the field and I was getting abuse from the crowd and I was that close to reacting.

"So it's totally understandable. As long as you don't give all these things too much importance then that's the secret.

"You have to understand some moments you can hold yourself.

Others maybe you can lose it a little bit. Sometimes it has to be judged but I'm just saying what happens when you are on the pitch and you are under pressure. Sometimes you can react. It's not easy to control."

Fellow Chelsea favourite Ron Harris also claimed the attention had been wrongly focused on the player and not the supporters.

"I just think it is a crime that the person who threw the coin first can walk away without any problems and Didier Drogba has reacted, like anyone else would do, and will suffer for it," he said.

"It is like when a burglar burgles your house, and you throw a right-hander, you will be the one who gets sued.

"But it is a natural instinct. If you are walking down the High Street and someone throws a punch at you, what are you going to do?

Stand there and accept it?

"I think it is a travesty. OK he has reacted wrongly but all day on the television and radio all I have heard about is Didier Drogba throwing a coin but they haven't said anything about the stupid idiot who threw it in the first place."

This is not the first time hottempered Drogba has been in trouble for his on-field antics.

He was booed by his own fans in March 2006 for diving at Stamford Bridge in a game against Manchester City.

And he was sent off in the Champions League final against Manchester United last May for slapping Nemanja Vidic.

But Harris insisted: "If you took that fire away from him, he would only be half the player he is.

"He is one of these fellows who gets a bit hot under the collar at times. He has come out straight away and put his hand up and said he has done wrong. Fine.

"Let's look at the idiot who threw the coin and walked away scot-free. The Burnley supporters must know who the culprit is and it is up to them to grass them up."

Burnley manager Owen Coyle said: "It is a shame were are talking about this incident instead of our win.

"I would never condone any supporter hurling abuse or anything else at any player or manager. It won't be ignored, I can assure you of that."

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