Gianfranco Zola OBE (born July 5, 1966 in Oliena, Sardinia) is a retired Italian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best free-kick takers of all time, and renowned for his technique, skill and dribbling and beheld by many as one of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League. He spent the first decade of his career in Italy, most notably with Napoli (alongside the legendary Argentinian Maradona and Brazilian striker Careca) and Parma, before moving to English side Chelsea, where he was voted Football Writers' Player of the Year in 1997. He was also capped for Italy and is currently joint coach of the Italian under-21s. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Oliena is a town in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy. ... For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... Soccer redirects here. ... A free-kick in football describes the situation where a player on the opposing team has committed a foul, and you are given the ball to play from the position where the offence took place. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as simply Napoli or the abbreviation SSC Napoli, is an Italian professional football club based in Naples, Campania that was originally founded in 1904. ... Maradona and the World Cup trophy Diego Armando Maradona (El Diego) (born October 30, 1960) is a former Argentine football player. ... Antonio de Oliveira Filho Careca, (born October 5, 1960), is a legendary Brazillian association football (soccer) player. ... Parma Football Club (formerly Parma Associazione Calcio) is an Italian football club based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, nicknamed Ducali (The Duchy Men), Crociati (Crusaders) and Gialloblu (Yellow-Blues). ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... The Football Writers Association (FWA) is an association of English football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies. ... First International U23: Italy 3-1 Austria Varese, November 1, 1970 U21: Portugal 1-0 Italy Funchal, December 23, 1976 Biggest win Italy 7-0 Estonia Catanzaro, March 23, 1995 Italy 8-1 Wales Pavia, September 5, 2003 Biggest defeat Norway 6-0 Italy Stavanger, June 5, 1991 Records for...

Italian career

Zola signed his first professional contract with Sardinian team Nuorese in 1984. In 1986 he moved to Torres from Sassari, and three years later he signed for Napoli in Serie A. The young and talented Zola scored two goals as understudy to Diego Maradona as Napoli won the Italian title in 1990. Maradona would prove to be a big influence on Zola's career. The two would spend hours practising free kicks together after training and Zola later said that "I learned everything from Diego. I used to spy on him every time he trained and learned how to curl a free-kick just like him."^[2] He helped Napoli to win the Italian Super Cup in 1991 and he made his debut for the Italian national side under coach Arrigo Sacchi in the same year. In 1993, Zola left Napoli and joined fellow Serie A side Parma. He won the UEFA Cup with Parma and they were runners-up in Serie A and the Italian Cup in 1995. It was with the blue and yellow club that he cemented his reputation as a creative player. However, coach Carlo Ancelotti came to see Zola as a "square peg" unable to fit into his rigid system.^[3] Zola was played out of position and ultimately made available for transfer. F.C. Nuorese Calcio is an Italian football club from Nuoro, Sardinia. ... Old Pol. ... Sassari (in Italian and Sassarese, a Corsican dialect; either Sassari or Tathari in southern Sardinian), is a town and a province in Sardinia, Italy. ... Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as simply Napoli or the abbreviation SSC Napoli, is an Italian professional football club based in Naples, Campania that was originally founded in 1904. ... This article is about the Italian football league. ... Diego Armando Maradona (born October 30, 1960) is a former Argentine football player. ... The Italian Super Cup or the SuperCoppa Italiana is a pre-season football (soccer) competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year, in August. ... First international  Italy 6 - 2 France  (Milan, Italy; 15 May 1910) Biggest win  Italy 9 - 0 USA  (Brentford, England; 2 August 1948) Biggest defeat  Hungary 7 - 1 Italy  (Budapest, Hungary; 6 April 1924) World Cup Appearances 16 (First in 1934) Best result Winners, 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 European Championship Appearances... Arrigo Sacchi (born 1 April 1946 at Fusignano) is a former manager of the Italy national football team (1991 - 1996), and twice manager of A.C. Milan (1987 - 1990, 1996 - 1997). ... Parma Football Club (formerly Parma Associazione Calcio) is an Italian football club based in Parma, nicknamed the Gialloblu. ... For the current season, see UEFA Cup 2007-08. ... The Coppa Italia Trophy - Coppa in Italian meaning Cup representing the Tournaments title. ... Carlo Ancelotti (born June 10, 1959 in Reggiolo) is a former football player and now coach. ...

Chelsea career

In November 1996, Zola joined English Premier League club Chelsea F.C. for £4.5m as one of several continental players signed by Ruud Gullit. In his debut season he put in several notable performances and scored a series of memorable goals. In February 1997, after spiriting the ball around Manchester United's defence in the penalty area before slotting the ball past goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, he was described by United manager Alex Ferguson as a "clever little so-and-so."^[4] He was a key player in Chelsea's resurgence that season, helping them win the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at Wembley having scored four goals en route to the final, including a 25 yard curling shot against Liverpool as Chelsea came from 0-2 behind to win 4-2, and a "twisted blood" effort in the semi-final against Wimbledon, backheeling the ball and turning 180 degrees before slotting the ball into the net. At the end of the season he was voted FWA Player of the Year, the only player ever to win the accolade without playing a full season in the English league and the first Chelsea player to win it. For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ...   (born September 1, 1962 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football coach and former player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. ... Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... The penalty area (colloquiallly also known as the 18-yard box, penalty box or simply the box), is an area of an association football field. ... Peter BolesÅ‚aw Schmeichel MBE (IPA: , born 18 November 1963 in Gladsaxe, Denmark) is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the Worlds Best Goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993. ... For other persons named Alex Ferguson, see Alex Ferguson (disambiguation). ... So and so may refer to: So and so, the English translation of a Arabic phrase. ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... Middlesbrough Football Club (commonly known as Boro) are an English football club based in Middlesbrough. ... Wembley Stadium was a football stadium located in Wembley, London. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... Wimbledon F.C. crest This article refers to the original club from London which existed until 2003. ... The Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award presented by the Football Writers Association to whom its members deem the best football player in England. ...

In 1997-98 he helped Chelsea win three more trophies, the League Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup and the Super Cup. An injury denied him a place in the starting line-up for the Cup Winners' Cup final against VfB Stuttgart at the Råsunda Stadium in Stockholm, but he came on as a second half substitute and scored the winning goal within 21 seconds. With only his second touch of the game, he struck a through ball from Dennis Wise past goalkeeper Wohlfahrt into the roof of the net to secure Chelsea's third major trophy in a year and the second European trophy in the club's history. In the same season Zola hit his first professional hat-trick, in a 4-0 victory over Derby County at Stamford Bridge in November 1997. // Premier League Arsenal overhauled Manchester Uniteds lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title. ... The 1998 Coca Cola Cup Final was played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough. ... The season 1997-98 of the Cup Winners Cup football club tournament was won by Chelsea in the final against VfB Stuttgart. ... The European Super Cup (UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup(formally UEFA Cup Winners Cup) and the Champions League. ... The 1998 UEFA Cup Winners Cup Final was a football match between Chelsea FC of England and VfB Stuttgart of Germany. ... VfB Stuttgart is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. ... RÃ¥sunda Stadium, located in the Stockholm suburb of Solna, is the home ground for football team AIK, the home of the Sweden mens national team and also hosts the headquarters of the headquarters of the Swedish Football Association. ... For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ... Dennis Frank Wise (born December 16, 1966 in Kensington) is an English football manager and former footballer, currently manager of Leeds United. ... For the German composer, see Franz Wohlfahrt. ... In sports, a hat-trick (more often rendered in North America as hat trick, without the hyphen) is associated with achieving something in a group of three. ... Derby County F.C. is an English football club, currently playing in the Football League Championship. ...

When Chelsea made their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League in 1999-00, Zola was a key player throughout, although he found his chances in the league more limited, owing to manager Gianluca Vialli's squad rotation policy. Zola scored three goals in Chelsea's run to the quarter-finals, including a curling free kick against FC Barcelona, and again won the FA Cup with the club, with his free-kick in the final against Aston Villa setting up Roberto Di Matteo's winner. His later years with Chelsea saw his appearances restricted by the new strike pairing of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen, though he did score with a backheeled effort in mid-air in an FA Cup tie against Norwich City, a goal manager Claudio Ranieri described as "Fantasy, magic."^[5] In 2002-03, his final season with Chelsea, he enjoyed a renaissance, scoring 16 goals, his highest seasonal tally for Chelsea, and was voted the club's player of the year after helping Chelsea qualify for the Champions League. European Cup redirects here. ... The 1999-2000 season of the UEFA Champions League was won by Real Madrid, who had clinched an historic 8th title win, against fellow La Liga side, Valencia. ... Gianluca Vialli (born July 9, 1964 in Cremona) is an Italian football striker and manager. ... Fútbol Club Barcelona, known familiarly as Barça (pronounced ), is a Spanish sports club based in Barcelona. ... The 2000 FA Cup Final took place on 20 May 2000 and was the last to be played at the old Wembley Stadium. ... Aston Villa redirects here. ... Roberto Di Matteo (born May 29, 1970 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland) is a Swiss-Italian former professional footballer. ... Jerrel Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (born 27 March 1972 in Paramaribo, Suriname), usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink,[1] is a Dutch football striker, currently playing for Cardiff City. ... Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen, known in the English-language media as Eidur Gudjohnsen (born 15 September 1978 in Reykjavík), is an Icelandic football player who is currently a striker for the English Premiership club Chelsea and the captain of the Iceland national team. ... Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. ... Claudio Ranieri (born October 20, 1951 in Rome) is a former Italian football player and manager, current manager of Juventus. ... The 2002-2003 season was the 123rd season of competitive football (soccer) in England, from August 2002 to July 2003: // England national team Key: ECQ = 2004 European Championship qualifiers, F = Friendly; scores are written England first European club competitions UEFA Champions League Manchester United - Quarter finals Arsenal - Second group phase...

Zola scored his final goal for Chelsea, a lob from outside the penalty area against Everton, on Easter Monday 2003, and made his final competitive appearance for the club on the final day of the season with a 20 minute cameo against Liverpool. He played in a total of 312 games for Chelsea and scored 80 goals. In early 2003, Zola was voted as the best ever Chelsea player by Chelsea's fans. In November 2004, he was awarded an OBE - Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in a special ceremony in Rome.^[6] In 2005 Zola was voted into the Chelsea FC Centenary Eleven, occupying one of the two forward roles. Whilst the club has not officially withdrawn Zola's number 25 shirt from circulation, no other player has held the squad number since his departure. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ...

Return to Italy and retirement

In the summer of 2003, amid rumours of an impending takeover at Chelsea, Zola left CFC to join Cagliari, a club from his native Sardinia. Within a week CFC was purchased by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Unable to persuade Zola to renege on his verbal contract with Cagliari, Abramovich allegedly attempted to purchase the entire Cagliari club. His offer for the club was rejected. Zola subsequently led Cagliari to promotion to the Italian Serie A. Then he renewed his contract for Cagliari Calcio for one more year. He retired in June of 2005, after ending his career in appropriate style with a double against Juventus in his last ever professional game. His number 10 Cagliari jersey was withdrawn in his honour for the season after he left but was worn in the 2006–07 season by Andrea Capone.^[7] Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. ... For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (IPA: ) (Russian: ) (born 24 October 1966 in Saratov, Russian SFSR, USSR) is a Russian billionaire and the main owner of private investment company Millhouse Capital, referred to as one of the Russian oligarchs. ... This article is about the Italian football league. ... Francesco Pisano (born 8 January 1981 in Cagliari) is an Italian football (soccer) striker who currently plays for Cagliari Calcio. ...

In his entire career, Zola played 627 games and scored 193 goals. Despite speculation he would play on in the 2005/2006 season, Zola decided to leave the game, just a week before he turned 39. He is currently an Italian football pundit, though he also comments on European competitions. He has also been named joint coach of the Italian Under-21 side with ex Chelsea player Pierluigi Casiraghi. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pierluigi Casiraghi (born 4 March 1969 in Monza, Italy) is a former footballer who played as a striker. ...

Rumours within Australia were circulating that Zola was being chased by several Hyundai A-League clubs (Australia's national league), including Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory, about a possible comeback,^[8] but Zola has quashed such rumours.^[9] He did, however, play a charity match in Sydney in December 2006, appearing in both Marconi and APIA colours. The A-League is a football (soccer) competition due to start in Australia in August, 2005. ... Sydney FC, founded in 2004, is an Australian football (soccer) club based in Sydney and competes in Australias premier competition, the A-League. ... Melbourne Victory FC is a football (soccer) club based in Melbourne, Australia. ... Perth Glory FC is a football (soccer) club from Perth, Western Australia, playing in the A-League. ... The Marconi Stallions are an Australian football (soccer) club from Sydney, Australia. ... A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers are a football (soccer) club based in Sydney, Australia. ...

Zola played against Shrewsbury Town for A-line Allstars on 14 July 2007 as part of a kit sponsorship deal between Shrewsbury Town and A-line. It was the first match ever played at the New Meadow stadium; A-line make Zola's boots.^[10] Shrewsbury Town Football Club are an English football club currently playing in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football. ... The fashion term A-Line was introduced by the French couture designer Christian Dior for his Spring-Summer 1955 Collection. ... The New Meadow is the provisional name for the new Shrewsbury Town stadium. ... The fashion term A-Line was introduced by the French couture designer Christian Dior for his Spring-Summer 1955 Collection. ...

International career

Zola played for his country at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, making one appearance in the second round against Nigeria. He was very unfortunate during that game as he was sent off unjustly (he did not foul the opponent) after only a few minutes on the pitch. Because of this episode, he was suspended for the two subsequent World Cup matches. He played in all three group games at Euro 96, and missed a penalty against Germany as Italy surprisingly crashed out in the first round. He scored the only goal of the game in a World Cup qualifying match against England at Wembley in February 1997, and won his final cap for Italy in the return fixture against England in Rome in October 1997. Zola won 35 international caps, scoring 10 goals. Qualifying countries The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. ... The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 96) was hosted by England. ... Bonaventure Kalou of the Ivory Coast takes a penalty against Dragoslav Jevrić of S&M during the 2006 World Cup. ... The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football (soccer) competition contested by the mens national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ...

Awards

Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born 24 May 1966 in Paris raised in Marseille) is a French former footballer of the late 1980s and 1990s. ... The Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award presented by the Football Writers Association to whom its members deem the best football player in England. ... Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (born May 10, 1969 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch professional footballer. ...

Honours and awards

Napoli

• Serie A winner:1989-90

This article is about the Italian football league. ...

Parma

• UEFA Cup winner: 1996

For the current season, see UEFA Cup 2007-08. ...

Chelsea

• FA Cup winner: 1997, 2000
• FA Community Shield winner: 2000
• League Cup winner: 1998
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winner: 1998
• European Super Cup winner: 1998

This article is about the English FA Cup. ... For the rugby league competition, see Charity Shield (rugby league) The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... The UEFA Cup Winners Cup (also known as the European Cup Winners Cup) was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. ... The European Super Cup (UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup(formally UEFA Cup Winners Cup) and the Champions League. ...

Personal Honours

- Awarded an OBE in 2004.

- Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2006 in recognition of his achievements in the English league. The Hall of Fame is housed at The National Football Museum in Preston, England. ...

- Voted Chelsea's greatest-ever player.

- Named in Chelsea's centenary XI.

Notes

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Gianfranco Zola profile, detailed club and national team statistics, honours, timeline and picture gallery

v • d • e Italy squad - 1994 FIFA World Cup Runners-up
1 Pagliuca • 2 Apolloni • 3 Benarrivo • 4 Costacurta • 5 Maldini • 6 Baresi • 7 Minotti • 8 Mussi • 9 Tassotti • 10 R. Baggio • 11 Albertini • 12 Marchegiani • 13 D. Baggio • 14 Berti • 15 Conte • 16 Donadoni • 17 Evani • 18 Casiraghi • 19 Massaro • 20 Signori • 21 Zola • 22 Bucci • Coach: Sacchi