Gianfranco Zola has been a very popular player in Italian and English Football during 90’s. He has been admired always by fans of clubs where he played for his inimitable style in and out of the pitch. In early 2003, Zola was voted as the best ever Chelsea player by Chelsea's fans.
Early career
Zola was born in Oliena, Sardinia on 5 July 1966. He started to play in the local club, the Nuorese, moving then in Torres where he played for three years showing immediately his talent.
As Maradona’s apprentice
In 1989 he was noticed by Napoli’s scouts and he signed for the “Azzurri” as Diego Armando Maradona’s substitute. Here he learned a lot of tricks by Diego, as he also admitted in a later interview: “I learned everything from Diego. I used to spy on him every time he trained and learned how to curl a free-kick just like him”. In the first year he won Serie A playing seven games and scoring two goals. When Maradona was found positive to drug test in 1991, he replaced him in the starters, helping the club to win Italian Super Cup. However Napoli after Maradona’s departure fell in financial crisis and Zola was forced to leave the club.
The first goal with Napoli’s jersey
In Parma
In 1993 he signed for Parma. In that years the club fought against Juventus for Italian title, living the best period of club’s history also in Europe. Here Zola found another great striker, Faustino Asprilla. In his first year he won his first International trophy, winning the UEFA Super Cup in 1993 but it’s 1994-95 season the best one as he conquered UEFA Cup and finished runner-up in Serie A and Italy Cup.
Parma UEFA Cup winner in 1995
In these years he proved definitely his skills and his reputation of unpredictable player. However with Carlo Ancellotti’s arrival he can’t find space in coach team, as he was considered by him a "square peg" unable to fit into his rigid system. For this reason he was made available for transfer by the club.
Zola’s goals in last years in Parma
Chelsea’s legend
In 1996, Ruud Gullit was the new manager of Chelsea and was building a continental revolution at Stamford Bridge. When he was informed that Zola was on transfer list, he immediately wanted to sign him. So the player arrived in London for a fee of £4,5 millions. In his debut season he put in several great performances, scoring some memorable goals and being a key player in Chelsea's starters. He was absolutely decisive also in FA Cup win, as he scored four goal during the tournament, some of them wonderful: a 25-yard curling shot against Liverpool and a backheel in the semi-final against Wimbledon.
Chelsea-Liverpool in 1997 FA Cup
At the end of the season with 41 appearances and 11 goals, he was voted FWA’s Player of the Year. 1997-98 was greater than the previous one as he helped Chelsea to win a Cup treble of the League cup, European Super Cup and Cup’s Winners Cup in which he was once again decisive despite of his injury; in fact he wasn’t in the starting line-up for the final but, when he came on substitute in the second half, he scored the winning goal after 21 seconds!
Zola’s goal in 1998 final
In this magic season he also scored his first professional hat-trick, in a 4–0 victory over Derby County at Stamford Bridge in November 1997.
In 1999-00 Zola played in Champions League for the first time and he was a key player during the tournament scoring three goal, including a stunning free-kick against Barcelona in quarters of finals.
His goal vs Barcelona
However in that season with Gianluca Vialli’s arrival he found less space in the starters for the squad-rotation policy of the coach. In that season Chelsea won again FA Cup and Zola scored also a goal in the final against Aston Villa. In 2000-01 season Gianfranco had first team chances limited by the arrival of Hasselbainks and Gudjohnsen but he always gave his decisive contribution. In 2002 he scored maybe his most famous goal against Norwich City in FA Cup, backheeling a cross from a corner into the net.
Zola’s legendary goal vs Norwich City
The coach Claudio Ranieri stated about this goal: “Gianfranco tries everything because he is a wizard and the wizard must try”. In 2002–03 he found a sort of renaissance, scoring 16 goals, his highest seasonal record for Chelsea, and was voted the club's player of the year, helping Chelsea qualify for the Champions League in the following season. Unfortunately this was his last season in the English team as Gianfranco wanted to return in his beloved Sardinia to play. After 312 caps and 80 goals, great successes and awards, “Magic Box” left Chelsea. His last goal with Blues’ jersey was against Everton on Easter Monday in 2003 while his last match was against Liverpool. In this final game he enjoyed for the last time English football beating 4 Liverpool players with a fantastic dribble, gaining applause from both club’s fans.
Zola’s dribbling in his last game in Chelsea
Tribute to “Magic Box”
Return to Italy
Zola signed a one-year contract with Cagliari in 2003 where he wanted to close his great career. That year he helped the team to win Serie B and gain promotion to Serie A. For his great performance despite of his age, he was persuaded by club to renew his contract for Cagliari Calcio for one more year. In his last season he scored 11 goals in 23 appearances, including a sensational heading goal against Juventus in the last minutes of the game and a double in the last match of his life again against Juventus.
Zola’s heading goal vs Juventus
All goals in his last season
Zola made his debut with Italian National team in 1991 when he played for Napoli in a match against Norway. He was part of the team at USA ’94, but he made only one appearance during the World Cup as he was undeservedly sent off.
Zola sent off at USA ‘94
He also played at Euro ’96 but also in this circumstance he had a negative episode: he missed a penalty against Germany as Italy went out in the first round. Maybe his most famous goal with Italy’s jersey was the winning one during a World Cup qualifying match against England at Wembley in February 1997.
Goal vs England
His final cap was in the return fixture against England in Rome in October 1997 as he was not called up for the 1998 World Cup, finishing with 35 total caps and ten goals.
Managerial career
After his retirement as player in 2005 he started his managerial career as assistant coach of Under-21 Italy. On 9 September 2008, Zola agreed a three-year contract to manage West Ham United, replacing Alan Curbishley.
In a Heineken adv with Romario
