Italy’s 1982 World Cup victory inspired Zola to make football his career
The former Chelsea legend says current manager Enzo Maresca’s strength is grooming younger talent
THE image of Dino Zoff – the legendary Italian goalkeeper – hoisting the Fifa World Cup trophy up high in 1982 will remain etched in my memory for life.
I was there in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, seated just 10 rows away from the presentation ceremony. I looked up in awe as the 40-year-old Zoff – the captain of the national team at that tournament – celebrated the achievement after leading Italy to a 3-1 defeat of West Germany in a pulsating final.
Zoff was – and still is – the oldest player to win a World Cup trophy. That same image I witnessed was also what inspired Gianfranco Zola, then just 16 years old and a budding footballer, to take the plunge and pursue a professional career. “I remember Dino Zoff and the Italian team being on top of the world. I said to myself that I want to be like them too,” said Zola, who is now 58 and one of the most famous players to wear his country’s iconic blue jersey.
Zola was recently in Singapore at the invitation of Chelsea’s official global hotels partner The Ascott Ltd. He graced the Singapore edition of The Famous CFC event last weekend together with hundreds of the club’s fans.
CFC stands for Chelsea Football Club. The event was anchored at lyf Funan Singapore, with additional activities at The Robertson House by The Crest Collection and Ascott Orchard Singapore. The two-day festivities featured coaching clinics, a watch party for Chelsea’s match against Aston Villa on Sunday (Dec 1), and meet-and-greet opportunities with Zola.
Storied career
After playing in Italy’s lower divisions with Nuorese and Torres, Zola was thrust into the limelight when he moved to Napoli in 1989, where he got to rub shoulders with the likes of Argentina’s Diego Maradona and Brazil’s Careca.
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During his four-year stint at Napoli, he was selected to play for the Italian national team in 1991. He made 35 appearances for his country (including at the 1994 World Cup), scoring 10 goals in total.
To many Singapore fans, however, Zola is best remembered for the seven seasons he spent at Chelsea from 1996 to 2003. He was twice named Player of the Year and was even voted as the club’s greatest ever player.
He scored 80 goals in 312 games with the Blues, winning the FA Cup twice, the Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup. Many of those goals were spectacular efforts, and some of those feats were replayed in a video that was broadcast to the fans at lyf Funan.
The ones that stood out were a mid-air back-flick against Norwich City, a short-range goal against Manchester United that left goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel stunned, and a remarkable turn and shot against Wimbledon.
Even though relatively short at just 1.68 metres, Zola excelled with his repertoire of curling free kicks and headed goals. Some of his managers such as Ruud Gullit deployed him in midfield because of his creativity and eye for goals from distance.
In all, he played under three different managers at Chelsea – the Dutchman Gullit, and fellow Italians Gianluca Vialli and Claudio Ranieri. “All of them had different styles, and I enjoyed playing under Gullit most because he was more attack-minded,” shared Zola.
He praised the current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who is also Italian, for building a good system and making the best use of his expensive squad. The Blues are now second in the English Premier League standings after beating Southampton 5-1 on Wednesday, seven points behind leaders Liverpool. “Maresca focuses on good build-up from defence, and he is best at grooming youngsters,” he noted.
Zola singled out Englishman Cole Palmer, with whom he did a recent documentary, as the player to watch this season. “Palmer is doing amazing things. We hope he will bring the club a lot of success and I’m sure he has the credentials to become a legend,” he said.
He also had good things to say about Moises Caicedo and Malo Gusto. The former joined Chelsea in 2023 on a massive £115 million (S$196.2 million) transfer from Brighton and Hove Albion. “I was not convinced by Caicedo last year, but he has impressed me this season. He took my (No 25) shirt and has been brilliant. He’s excellent with and without the ball,” added Zola. “Gusto is young (21 years old) and a promising defender whom I’m sure Maresca will groom steadily.”
Rise of Asia
During the media session, Zola was asked about the presence of more Asian players in Europe’s top leagues. Some of the more well-known stars from Asia include Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.
“Yes, Asian teams and Asian players are making an impact on world football. I was once sponsored by Mizuno, the Japanese brand, so I know enough of Asian players,” he replied. “They are hardworking and disciplined, and it is their passion that carries them through. I see a big future for Asian players in Europe.”
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