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Gianfranco Zola It says a lot about Gianfranco Zola that he is considered one of the icons of the Calcio Italia era despite spending much of that time outside of Italy. A player short on size, if not stature, the Sardinian ace established himself as one of the most popular players in the Premier League during a seven-year stint at Chelsea and ensured that English fans changed their way of thinking about Italian football. Catenaccio became a distant memory thanks to Zola power. However, it's almost forgotten that before his move to West London he was making waves at Parma. In the mid-1990s the Gialloblu were a force to be reckoned with and, with the help of Zola, the Tardini boys won the UEFA Cup against Juventus and also reached the European Cup-Winners' Cup Final, losing to Arsenal. But when Carlo Ancelotti made him a square peg in a round hole in 1996, it was time for a change - and a £4.5m move to Chelsea beckoned. It is often said that foreigners need a year to settle into Premier League life, but Zola threw the rulebook out the window, winning the prestigious Footballer Writers' Player of the Year award in his first season. His ability to do the seemingly unthinkable wowed fans all over the country. That year the Blues won the FA Cup for the first time in 27 years, which they followed up a year later with glory in the League Cup and Cup-Winners' Cup. The latter saw Zola defy injury to make a stunning arrival as a substitute, netting the winner just 21 seconds after stepping on to the pitch. By this point his Italy career had virtually ground to a halt. The two major tournaments he had played in went terribly, as he was sent off against Nigeria in the 1994 World Cup and missed a crucial penalty against Germany at Euro '96 - scandalously finishing with just 35 caps for the Azzurri. Yet Zola will always be remembered fondly in West London. A spectacular individual goal against Manchester United in his first campaign led to Sir Alex Ferguson dubbing him “a clever little so-and-so,” and he lit up the 1997 FA Cup semi-final against Wimbledon with an amazing strike after turning on a six-pence to leave the defence for dead before firing home. A stunning mid-air back-heel flick against Norwich in 2002 was described by then Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri as “fantasy,” while his final goal for the club was an incredible lob from the narrowest of angles against Everton. Even his exit from Stamford Bridge was remarkable. The day before Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea, Zola made up his mind to finish his career with his hometown club Cagliari, who were then in Serie B. No amount of money could convince him to change his mind. “My greatest satisfaction is off the pitch for the way people consider me and the respect they give me,” he said after being awarded an OBE. “Money can give you many things, but respect cannot be bought. What I have achieved in the way people regard me, in my mind, is remarkable.”

Words: Richard Godden

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