The legendary football player and coach was born in 1966, on July 5, in the town of Olien on the island of Sardinia. Not possessing special physical qualities since childhood, Gianfranco Zola, whose height was 1.68 m, took his southern energy and agility. With these simple abilities, he made his way into the big football world. His professional career started at the age of 18, when he signed the first contract with the local club Nuorese, after which the ascent to the stars of the sports world began.
Carier start
In the provincial team, Dzola will not be delayed for more than two years, and already in 1986 he transferred to the Sassarian club Torres, which became his springboard for moving to a new level of football life: after another three years, the footballer breaks into the Italian Serie A, signing a contract with Napoli. This is where the first victories and serious club trophies appear. Dubbing Diego Maradona himself, he scores two goals and helps Napoli win Serie A - it was 1990.
Apprentice Maradona
In general, from such a stellar neighborhood in the club Gianfranco Zola benefited a lot. The Italian footballer trained a lot with Maradona and adopted experience and skill. After general training, the two of them remained to work out free kicks. After a while, Zola himself will say that he learned everything from Diego, peeping at his technique. They will later say that in the entire history of football there are few players who execute free kicks as efficiently as Gianfranco.
1991 was no less fruitful - along with Napoli Zola wins the Italian Super Bowl and is already debuting in the national team. Two years later, he signs a new contract, but with another club from Serie A - Parma.
As part of this team, Gianfranco Zola again wins the national championship, in 1995 its cup, and also wins the fight for trophies from UEFA. At this time, his reputation as a creative and thinking player is being strengthened. However, in the new tactics of coach Carlo Ancelotti, it was difficult for him to realize, and in the end he was put up for transfer.
Career at Chelsea: Recognition in England
Already in 1996, Zola wears a T-shirt from the English club Chelsea. Moving to another country with such an excellent playing style was not shocking for the Italian, and he immediately began to fight shoulder to shoulder with the new team.
In his first season in England, Gianfranco already occupies an important place in the game of the club. On the way to the final standoff with Middlesbrough for the FA Cup, 4 goals scored by Gianfranco Zola were very important. Chelsea won then, and the Italian was recognized as the player of the year. There were no cases in the English Premier League before or after the player received this title without having played a full season.
Success in Europe
The following season, Chelsea fought for the League Cup and Cup Cup. Victories in these confrontations would also be impossible without the participation of Zola. The story of the ball at the gate of “Stuttgart” in the Cup final of the Cup may well qualify for the title of legend. The Italian entered the field only at the end of the match, as he had not yet recovered from his injury, but already at 21 seconds in the game he made his second touch on the ball and scored a goal. Thanks to this, Chelsea drove home their second European trophy.
In the 1999-2000 season, Chelsea first began their fight for the Champions League Cup. In matches of this level, Zola was also the main figure for the team. In the Champions League, he scores 3 goals. And at the end of the season, thanks to his unique ability to sell penalties, Chelsea wins the FA Cup again. This time, in the final match, Aston Villa was defeated.
Last season at Chelsea
In the future, younger players - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbeink and Eidura Goodyonsen - pushed aside the key positions of the Gianfranco club. But in the end, before leaving the English club, Gianfranco Zola still showed a high level of his skill. In the 2002-2003 season, he scored 16 goals for aristocrats, which was his best indicator in the Foggy Albion.
Before completing his career, the Italian decided to settle in his home, in Sardinia. Only Roman Abramovich, who came to Chelsea, persuaded for a long time not to leave the English, but Zola nevertheless signs a contract with Cagliari and returns to his homeland.
Return to Italy
Quietly resting on well-deserved laurels was not in the style of Gianfranco, and his retirement was no less noisy than the appearance of a new star. With his energy and experience, he helps Cagliari to win Serie B and transfer to the top division.
After this success, Gianfranco Zola decides to spend another season at the rising club. In the last matches of his career as a player, it was clear that he was preparing for his coaching future. He gave more passes and less often took the game upon himself, often shouted and taught newcomers to the club. In fact, he was a playing coach of the team.
In addition, at this time, Dzola and his friend Pierluigi Casiraghi were instructed to coach the youth team. This experience can not be called successful, but this failure did not affect his coaching future.
Team game
Playing for the Italian national team, Zola could not fully show his talent and reveal as fully as in the clubs. In 35 matches at international tournaments, they scored 10 goals. For a player of this level, this figure could be higher.
Maybe it really didn’t work out for the Italian in the best way: either a completely random and optional red card at the 1994 World Cup, or an incomprehensible miss from the penalty spot in the 1996 Euro match against Germany.
But it is not worth exaggerating these failures, since there were quite successful moments here. For example, the winning goal in a duel with the team of England, the game with which was held in 1997.
Coaching career
A week before his 39th birthday, Gianfranco Zola finally decides to leave the role of the player. His achievements are 627 professional football matches and 193 goals scored. With these indicators, he transferred to a new quality in the football world, as he decided to try himself as a coach.
West Ham Trainer
The start was made by the assistant coach of the youth team, but soon an invitation followed to lead West Ham, who was left without leadership. Zola took this opportunity and returned to England - it was 2008.
As a traner, Gianfranco Zola was very successful. The coach supported young players who were just starting their professional career. The first season, Zola kept West Ham at the level, but in the second, the team had real chances to drop into the lower division. Only 5 points separated them from the relegation zone. In May 2010, the club management and the coach by mutual agreement terminate the contract.
Watford Coach
Such a failure does not lead the Italian out of his intended way, and he stubbornly goes on. From West Hem, Gianfranco Zola (whose photos of those years testify to his tirelessness and readiness to start again) goes to another English club, Watford. The 2012-2013 season was very successful for both the team and the coach. The club enters the playoff stage of the championship and reaches the finals, where the Crystal Palace loses the victory.
But already in the next season, the team will face a severe failure. Five home defeats cast the club to 13th place in the standings. After this, in December 2013, Zola resigned.
Return to Sardinia
A year later, on December 24, 2014, Zola started working with her native club Cagliari. Maybe this is a return home before announcing the final resignation, as was the case during his career as a player, or maybe a new stage will still show Gianfranco’s talents.