This gentleman was signed!

80 goals, 312 games.

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkJOWuP8VeE

The fact that I remember him signing makes me feel my age.

 

 

 

Also, signings in November! Take that transfer window!

I love Zola. Such a genius on the ball in his day and a complete gentleman.

What a treat for Friday morning - Thanks all !

 

He is always likely to be my greatest of all time - if he was playing today he would be the best in the world and was massively underrated outside of Chelsea.

 

I think to a lot of Chelsea fans he was overtaken by Drogba which I can understand and the generation just older than me would say Ossie, again I completely understand.. but my case for Zola :

 

His tenacity and skill was like Messi

His love for the fans and the club was like Ossie

He did it in big games and against big clubs like Drogba

The only player to get a standing ovation from the press

....and what this film does not show and important to me as someone who never missed a match in those days

 

He gave 100%, 100% of the time, he never stopped, his head never really went down and he covered most of the pitch, If today’s statisticians where around he would break their laptops

The only player, at least playing in my lifetime, that nobody ever had a bad word for. Such a class act, and for me he personifies that period in the nineties when we became genuine trophy contenders.

The only player, at least playing in my lifetime, that nobody ever had a bad word for. Such a class act, and for me he personifies that period in the nineties when we became genuine trophy contenders.

You haven't spoken to Julian Dicks have you.  He's still spinning round in circles scratching his head!

 

17 years.  I can't believe it was that long ago.  Great player, great man.

I think Carragher really had to retire due to twisted blood syndrome after his last appearance against Zola.

What a f**king player, who knows whether I would have grown up to love Chelsea or football as much without him.

 

Roll Hazard, Mata and Willian into one, and you might, might have a player on par with Zola.

 

One of the most magical men I have ever seen on a football pitch, I really hope he gets that Watford side promoted.

Zola.... La la la la Zola

17 years lol! Played football in the right way, proper genius!

Some of those videos almost had me in tears. A true gentleman and a master on the ball. 

 

I can't believe it's been a decade without him. How time flies. Treasure everything.

Definitely a pivotal factor in making me love Chelsea and football as much as I do. The perfect blend of 'Carefree' and work horse which I love, something very few people in the game are able to capture.

His chapter in the story of our club should never be downplayed. He made the era that we now enjoy.

Thanks for being a top player, Gianfranco. But more importantly thanks for being a top Gent. 

Quite possibly our best ever player and undoubtedly right up there with this league's best players. Very few possessed his mastery of the ball that I can recall off-hand.

Genius and gentleman,my favourite Chelsea player in my lifetime.Played football with a smile on his face.Apart from finishing he had so much more to his game,LEGEND.

I was talking with my pal about him over the weekend, I was saying that Zola will always be my favourite player, not just because of his ability, but because of his attitude, playing the game with a smile.

You can't help but love this great man. Not only was he a wonderful player, but he's a great person in general and I always loved the way he played with a smile on his face as people mentioned and he was a class act from the time he started in 1996 until he played his last game in 2003 against Liverpool.

 

There are so many great memories I have of Gianfranco and he deserves to be welcomed back at Stamford Bridge anytime. 

 

Has to be seen ..

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b25MZuCzK1U

What  a goal !  Genius

All we need now is Zola to become Gaffa. That would be freakin' awesome...he kept wet spam up in the EPL so that right there tells me that Zola knows how to manage.