When considering the list of the most influential players in the history of the English Premier League (EPL), one name often fails to get the consideration it rightly deserves. That name is none other than Gianfranco Zola, who will go down in history as arguably the best import in Premier League history.
Which year was Zola at Chelsea? Zola was brought into Chelsea by Ruud Gullit in November 1996 and Zola was with Chelsea until the summer of 2003.
Having already earned his stripes at Serie A sides Napoli and Parma, the former being where the forward honed his craft as the late great Diego Maradona’s apprentice, the Italian joined a then struggling Chelsea in November 1996 for a meager £4.5 million and stayed with The Blues until the end of their 2002-03 campaign – a total of about seven seasons. We take a look at Zola’s career.
Too Small for the Premier League
On arriving at Chelsea, football pundits immediately raised questions on whether the then little-known Zola, who stood at 5 ft 6 with a very lean frame, would be able to survive in the EPL with its traditionally fast and furious style of play. Those questions were however quickly put to bed by the talisman who time and time again proved that he belonged at the top-tier English competition after putting up dazzling performances, which wowed EPL fans across the board and earned him the respect and admiration of his peers.
The individual highlight of his debut season was undoubtedly in Chelsea’s match with perennial rivals Manchester United in February 1997, where the magician utterly bamboozled the Red Devils’ defense and skillfully weaved his way into the 18-yard box from which the marksman found the back of the net. This outstanding outing earned the Blues ace the moniker “a clever little so-and-so” from legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who many claimed secretly wished he had a player of Zola’s stature, pun intended.
Instant Hit
Fueled by Zola’s undeniable brilliance on the pitch, Chelsea quickly found their winning form reassuring fans, who had slowly begun to abandon their seemingly sinking ship, that they were not only far from done but just getting started. That season saw the club bag its first major piece of silverware in a while in the form of an FA Cup after besting Middlesbrough 2-0 in that competition’s final. Below is a clip of Zola’s magic on the FA Cup run, with a cracking goal against Wimbledon in the FA Cup Semi-Final.
For his contributions, Zola clinched the FWA Player of the Year award becoming the first Chelsea player to win the honor and the only player to win the award despite not having played a full season in the EPL.
Zola continued his awe-inspiring performances in his sophomore campaign with the English side, helping them bag the League Cup, the Super Cup, and the Cup Winner’s Cup. The maestro also registered his first professional hat-trick in a stunning 4-0 home victory over Derby County. The 1998-99 saw more of the same from Zola, who was at the heart of Chelsea continued emergence, enabling them to finish the season as one of the best teams in the EPL, earning them a spot in the Champions League the following season.
Then Chelsea manager, Gianluca Vialli, would deploy Zola primarily in the Champions League in the following 1999-2000 season. The tactician would however limit Zola’s appearances in the Premier League as a part of his strategy to cope with the squad demands of competing in additional competitions. Zola made the most of his new role, scoring three goals to help the Blues navigate through the knockout stages of the Champions League. The playmaker also helped Chelsea secure yet another FA Cup title that season.
Twilight Years
Zola’s fortunes, as far as Premier League starts and appearances are concerned, continued to dwindle even after Claudio Ranieri took over as manager of the Blues. Ranieri, who was adamant that the club needed a change of guard, began systematically ousting older players in the summer preceding the 2001-02 season and drastically limited Zola’s minutes in the ensuing seasons. Zola however remained a class act and made the most of the opportunities he was afforded, endearing himself even more to fans and players alike.
In his final season with Chelsea, Zola went against the grain by simply refusing to go quietly into the night. The ex-Napoli star had his best scoring season with the club, tallying 16 goals to help the then financially-struggling club land a spot in the Champions League the following season. This final act of greatness saved Chelsea from disappearing into oblivion and encouraged billionaire Roman Abramovich to purchase the club, subsequently bailing it out of its financial woes.
A number of EPL historians have gone on record to disclose that Abramovich, a known Zola fan, tried to offer the ex-Parma ace an opportunity to stay with at Stamford Bridge beyond the 2002-03 season. As a testament to “Magic Box’s” impeccable character, Zola would nevertheless opt to keep a promise he’d made to Italian side Cagliari and join them in the summer of 2003, ending his tenure with Chelsea.
Individual Accolades
Aside from the FWA Player of the Year award he won in his maiden season with the Blues, Zola received many honors including an OBE (Order of the British Empire) award. Chelsea fans also voted the attacking midfielder the best ever Chelsea player in 2003 and to their Centenary Eleven team in 2005.
English mainstream publication, The Sun, also named Zola to their top 10 list of the best foreign players to have ever played in the Premier League in 2007.
Legacy
Zola was a player ahead of his time. Looking back at his illustrious career with Chelsea, many have credited Zola with popularizing the role of the classic number 10 in today’s EPL. A classic number 10 does not play a particular position and their role on a team is not defined. They simply do what is asked of them in a given match and plug the chinks in their team’s armor and thus help them put their best feet forward confidently against whatever their opposition might throw at them.
EPL experts have argued that perhaps Manchester United, and not Chelsea, might have been a better fit for Zola since ex-manager Sir Alex Ferguson always preferred fielding a classic number 10 in his various lineups. Had United landed Zola in his prime, many believe that the Italian would have almost certainly won the Premier League title that eluded him in his stint in England.
Unknown to many, Zola was the main reason Blues great Frank Lampard joined the team from league rivals West Ham. Lampard has time and again disclosed that it is Zola who took him under his wing and natured him into the player that he became. It was Zola who helped Lampard sharpen the stellar freekick and penalty-taking skills the Englishman came to be known by. Zola’s number 25 jersey is considered to be unofficially retired as no other player has donned it since the magician left the club.
After retiring as a player, Zola went on to either manage or coach a number of clubs including Cagliari, West Ham United, Watford, Birmingham City and most recently Chelsea as assistant first-team coach during manager Maurizio Sarri’s tenure.