Gianfranco Zola
Italian football manager (born 1966)
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Key Takeaways
- Gianfranco Zola ( Italian pronunciation: [dʒaɱˈfraŋko dˈdzɔːla] ; born 5 July 1966) is an Italian football executive, manager, and former footballer who played predominantly as a forward.
- He spent the first decade of his playing career in Italy, most notably with Napoli alongside Diego Maradona and Careca where he won the 1989–90 Serie A title, and at Parma where he won the Italian Super Cup and the 1994–95 UEFA Cup.
- During his time at the club, he won the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Community Shield.
- He was capped 35 times for Italy from his debut in 1991, appearing at the 1994 World Cup, where Italy finished in second place, and Euro 1996.
- He was manager of Watford from July 2012 until he announced his resignation on 16 December 2013.
Gianfranco Zola (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaɱˈfraŋko dˈdzɔːla]; born 5 July 1966) is an Italian football executive, manager, and former footballer who played predominantly as a forward. He is currently vice-president of the Lega Pro, the Italian Serie C football league.
He spent the first decade of his playing career in Italy, most notably with Napoli alongside Diego Maradona and Careca where he won the 1989–90 Serie A title, and at Parma where he won the Italian Super Cup and the 1994–95 UEFA Cup. He later moved to English side Chelsea, where he was voted the Football Writers' Player of the Year in the 1996–97 season. During his time at the club, he won the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Community Shield. In 2003 he was voted the greatest Chelsea player ever. He was capped 35 times for Italy from his debut in 1991, appearing at the 1994 World Cup, where Italy finished in second place, and Euro 1996.
After a stint with Italy under-21s, Zola began his club managerial career with West Ham United of the Premier League in 2008, before being sacked in 2010. He was manager of Watford from July 2012 until he announced his resignation on 16 December 2013. From December 2014 to March 2015 he managed Cagliari in Serie A. He returned to Chelsea as the assistant of new manager Maurizio Sarri on 18 July 2018, ahead of the 2018–19 Premier League season.
Club career
Early career
Born in Oliena, Zola signed his first professional contract with Sardinian team Nuorese in 1984. In 1986, he moved to the Sassari-based team Torres, where he spent three seasons.
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