Zola began his footballing career with Sardinian side Nuorese in the early eighties, he also spent three seasons at Torres before signing for Serie A team Napoli in 1989. Alongside Zola at Napoli were football stars such as Diego Maradona and Brazilian striker Careca. Zola spent many hours training with Maradona and admitted to learning everything from the Argentine.
Ruud Hullit signed Zola for Chelsea in 1996 for £4.5 million. Zola fitted in straight away, unlike many Italian players who find it hard to adapt to the pace of English football, he was instrumental in helping the side reach the FA Cup final which they went on to win, beating Middlesbrough 2-1. At the end of the season he was voted FWA Player Of The Year, the first Chelsea player ever to do so.
His skill, agility and goal scoring instincts helped Chelsea reach another FA Cup final in 2000 when they beat Aston Villa 1-0. Zola forged a great striking partnership with Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank and also went on the score one of the best ever goals for Chelsea. In an FA cup tie against Norwich, he back heeled a corner inside the near post as the ball was in mid air.
During the 2001/2002 season, new manager Claudio Ranieri was keen to introduce younger blood to the squad and Zola was often sidelined. He returned to Italy in 2003 to play for Cagliari in his native Sardinia.
In 2003 Zola was voted Chelsea's best ever player and a year later he recieved an OBE, an honorary member of the British Empire in a ceremony in Rome.
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