When Gianfranco Zola arrived at Chelsea in November 1996, there was no fanfare, no expectation, and he was just considered as another body being added to Rudd Gullit’s squad for the remainder of the 1996/1997 season. However, he immediately won over everyone, from teammates to fans to members of the media, and finished the season as the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year, the first Chelsea player to achieve that feat. The achievement was even more remarkable considering that he was the only player in English football history to accomplish the success after having played less than a full season. He was a gentleman on and off the field, respected by the opposition as much as he was adored by his teammates. Not only did Zola mesmerize with his amazing touch and passing ability, but he also his imagination when it came to taking set-pieces. So is Zola a Chelsea Legend?
Is Zola a Chelsea Legend? Without a shadow of a doubt, Gianfranco Zola is a Chelsea Legend, having led Chelsea to the FA Cup in 1997 and the Cup Winners Cup, Coca Cola and Super Club in 1998.
A right-footed team player who was creative, technically gifted, unpredictable, and selfless, Zola was renowned for his ball control, skilled dribbling ability, vision, and passing ability with either foot. He was also one of those rare players whose ability to read the game placed him one step ahead of the opposition players. Zola was a member of the Italian national team and despite his lack of centimetres, used his low center of gravity to his advantage. He was fast and nimble, which, when combined with his ball skills, enabled him to reverse direction with the ball very rapidly in confined spaces.
Zola – The First Season
During his first season, he showed his ability and skills by putting in many standout performances and scoring many memorable goals in the process. Following one of the first of his many brilliant goals for Chelsea (against Manchester United in February 1997), he was described by the iconic United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as “a clever little so-and-so”. This was high praise indeed by one of the greatest managers of his time, who had Giggs, Scholes, and Beckham as superstar midfielders under his tutelage in his time as the United manager.
During the 1997–98 season, Zola assisted Chelsea in winning three trophies, the League Cup, the Cup Winners’ Cup, and the Super Cup, all of which he played pivotal roles in securing those cups for Chelsea. were won with his assistance. Even though he was unable to make the starting lineup for Chelsea’s Cup Winners’ Cup final against Stuttgart at the Rsunda Stadium in Stockholm, he played an important role in the team’s victory, as he came on as a second-half substitute and scored the winning goal after only being on the pitch for 30 seconds, and thus enabling his club to win their third major title in a single season.
A penalty kick and set-piece expert, Zola was one of the best dead-ball specialists not only in the Premier League but also in Europe as well. Beyond his playing skills, Zola was distinguished throughout his career for his tenacity and work rate, as well as professionalism and fair–play principles. While playing for Chelsea, Zola was given the nickname “Magic box” for his ability to think outside the box under extreme pressure, which remains a constant in the hurly-burly of the Premier League. Zola is widely considered as one of the greatest Italian creative forwards of all time, as well as one of the greatest players in the history of both Chelsea and the Premier League.
Zola – The Accolades
Zola was twice named Chelsea Player of the Year and was instrumental in the club’s four trophy victories, including the FA Cup in his first season, which was the club’s first major silverware in twenty-six years. It took him just seconds after coming in as a replacement to score the winning goal in the 1998 European Cup Winners’ Cup final, and his passionate celebration came as a result of a close-run race to be healthy enough to participate. However, Zola has dedicated his future to Stamford Bridge after several key players from that squad left in the first few months of the century. As a 36-year-old, he scored his most goals in the Premier League during the 2002/03 season, assisting the team in qualifying for the Champions League that season.
For the majority of his playing career, Zola was deployed either as a supporting striker or as a playmaking attacking midfielder. This was primarily because of his ability to create chances and assists for his teammates. He was also on occasion utilised as a winger and on rare occasions, was even used as a striker. However, these were not his preferred positions, as he felt he was not able to fully utilise his entire skillset when playing in these positions. Over the course of his career with the club, he assisted the club in winning the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Community Shield.
Zola – The Finale
In his last season at the football club in 2003, Chelsea qualified for the Champions League in a season in which he scored 16 goals for the club in all competitions, which amazingly was a season-best for him. During his time at Chelsea, he appeared in 312 games and scored 80 goals, including 59 goals in 229 Premier League matches
Gianfranco Zola arrived at Chelsea with no fanfare in 1996. In the next seven years, not only did he become one of the most loved players to pull on the jersey, but he also was pivotal in providing the team with the class, the flair, and momentum to win multiple trophies. In addition to all the medals won as a Chelsea player, in 2003 Zola was named the greatest Chelsea player ever to play for the club, by the selfsame Chelsea supporters that he thrilled weekly from 1996 to 2003. Additionally, in a special ceremony held in Rome in November 2004, he was presented with an OBE, Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his services to the British Empire. A fitting tribute to a little genius.