Fans’ favourite irrespective of affiliation, Gianfranco Zola graced West London and beyond with his flicks, tricks and free-kicks and, above all, his appreciation for and commitment to the beautiful game.
The diminutive Italian delayed the disintegration of the great Diego Maradona-inspired Napoli team of the late 1980’s with twelve goals to take Claudio Ranieri’s side to an unlikely fourth-place finish in 1991-2, winning the Italian Super Cup and making his international debut along the way.
He then moved to Parma where he claimed a UEFA Cup medal and narrowly missed out on both legs of a ‘double’ in 1995, before Carlo Ancelotti’s more restrained tactics paved the way for his move to Chelsea the following year.
It was on the Fulham Road where Zola’s artistry will be best remembered, as he hit the ground running in 1996 and was critically acclaimed as the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, despite having only joined the Premier League mid-season.
So many moments from his seven years at Chelsea perfectly encapsulate Zola’s uniqueness - perhaps none more so than his final contribution in English football, which saw the then 37-year-old utterly embarrass Jamie Carragher, Liverpool’s defensive lynchpin, with his twists and turns; his low centre of gravity and divine touch bamboozling the future Champions League winner, leaving him mentally and physically floored.
Then there were the goals. His first effort of note came against none other than Manchester United, where he waltzed past two before leaving Peter Schmeichel helpless with a composed, near-post finish. His last for the club fittingly came at Stamford Bridge when he lifted the ball with the outside of his right foot from 25 yards at an improbable angle to execute the perfect lob and seal a 4-1 win over Everton.
In between came his FA Cup semi-final special at Highbury to set the Blues up for their first silverware in 26 years by way of another flick followed by a ruthless strike, while another FA Cup goal, this time in a third round replay at the Bridge, saw him go one better – an outrageous back-heel providing a deadly combination of flick and finish against Norwich City.
Zola was also the man for the big occasion, bagging the only goal in the 1998 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final moments after his arrival as a second-half substitute. He also provided wonderful assists for both the clincher in the 1997 FA Cup Final; one of Chelsea’s most critical goals (again with that right heel) and for Gustavo Poyet’s scissor kick on the opening day of the highly lucrative 1999-2000 season, which saw Zola score one of his countless trademark free-kicks against Barcelona, with an immaculate touch, swivel and scoop for what was undoubtedly one of the Blues’ best goals.
His number 25 shirt has since been retired by Chelsea, as has his number 10 at Cagliari , where he signed off with a brace against Juventus, having reportedly turned down a huge offer of a return to London , in order to lead his local team back to the big time. He has been called a “wizard” by Ranieri and a “clever little so-and-so” by a begrudgingly impressed Sir Alex Ferguson, along with receiving an OBE and an ORMI (Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) for his consistent commitment to football in its purest form.
Having recently been relieved of his managerial duties at West Ham United, despite remaining a popular figure with the vast majority of football followers, the game is now immeasurably poorer without the work of the little sorcerer from Sardinia.
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