"This Chelsea team isn't ready, they look intimidated!" ⚽️ Gianfranco Zola | Up Front
On today’s episode we are joined by one of the most iconic Italians to grace the Premier League. From humble beginnings in his hometown Sardinia, Gianfranco Zola was famed for playing the game in a beautiful way. He became one of the rising stars in his hometown which earned him a big money move to Napoli, who were led by the God-like figure Diego Maradona.
After impressing for Napoli, he moved to Parma and formed a deadly partnership with Faustino Asprilla, challenging Juventus for the Serie A title. However, he struggled for game time the following season under manager Carlo Ancelotti, which opened the door for Zola to make the move to Stamford Bridge. His audacious, entertaining style of play helped ignite Chelsea’s resurgence in the late 90’s and he became a firm favourite for the blues. He’s also widely seen as a trailblazer who formed English football’s early foreign revolution.
After finishing his playing career back home in Sardinia, Gianfranco moved into management, managing teams such as West Ham, Watford and Birmingham City, often under extremely challenging ownership groups. Gianfranco joins the show and opens up on those challenging situations whilst giving his honest opinion on the current footballing landscape and the state of his beloved Chelsea FC.
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Warning: This episode may contain strong language. 18+ gamble responsibly.
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00:00 Introduction to Zola
00:52 Podcast starts
01:28 Zola’s journey
07:50 Nuorese Calcio & Torres at 22
11:03 Napoli
13:02 Maradona
18:28 Wanting to do more as a player
21:42 Parma
23:12 Chelsea
34:28 Chelsea in 2024
40:19 Moving into management
41:30 West Ham
46:11 Watford
51:40 Birmingham
52:41 Chelsea assistant manager
01:00:06 Italy National Team
Prime Zola was pure poetry in motion.
Well said
If there were more Zola's in the world, the world would be a better place. Commands respect from kindness and decency rather than fear.
Good things very often come in small packages
Know your role
💯
Zola, always a gentleman.
I’m glad he didn’t criticize the fans for their current frustration, and he criticized the owners respectfully. True gentleman.
The man, the wizard, the legend, Gianfranco Zola.
One of the beautiful game's nice guys and a superlative footballer. The fact that most fans across the Premiership have nothing bad to say about him says it all.
Oh my God he mentioned Faustino Asprillia! Two legends in the same club. Zola never let any fan down, ever!
One of the best players I have ever had the pleasure to watch (from a Man United fan). Complete class act
Also a Red, top top player. Gave us a hard time on more than occasion as Fergie mentioned a few times and with a smile on his face.
Arsenal fan here. Absolutely agree. He was the Maradona of the premier league.
Zola what a player! Premier league icon
Was lucky enough to see him at the bridge a few times. The best player I ever saw live. And what a lovely humble guy too!
What a player! In a era where defenders could make tackles
Imagine him and Maradona playing in there prime now no tackling hardly.. perfect pitches carpets couldn't just try wipe them out not get sent off souness style tackles 👍 OK got the ball just you aswell.. they would run a mock in 2024
Maradona has given up the No.10 shirt to only one player throughout his career and that’s Zola, Sardinian pride!
An amazing player with incredible technical skills. Even more, what a wonderful person!
Zola oozed class when he came to the Premier league, a true legend.
He helped thr standard of play become more technical. As small as Zola is when he was playing in the Prem at times he looked like a tenth grader picking on eight graders.
@@anthonymcken6050 I could never tell if he had great strength relative to his size or if he just had tremendous balance. He was wonderful to watch either way.
Had the fortune and honour to meet Zola. A humble and kind man. Has time for people. Great interview.
I'm a leeds fan for many years and can honestly say although Zola is a Chelsea legend,he's one of the greatest players to have graced the Premier League
I was at zola’s debut for Chelsea , Blackburn away , he hit the post with a free kick . I just remember watching him for them 90mins thinking to myself what a player we have here and he surpassed all expectations for him . What a player but more so what a man . GIANFRANCO ZOLA LALALALA GIANFRANCO ZOLA LALALALA
up the chels the good old days those ones!
He brought us so much joy at the bridge, absolutely fantastic player and in my opinion the best to put that Chelsea shirt on. Also a gentleman away from the pitch, very humble man. I had the pleasure of meeting Zola & Vialli, walked a radiator shop in Belsize road, Kilburn and the pair of them standing there ( random I know ) I went mental lol been a Chelsea fan my whole life so getting to meet a couple of your hero’s as a kid was a dream come true.
Here before Huw Evans repeats Simons intro for the millionth time
Along with Hazard, Zola is the most naturally gifted footballer I’ve seen at Chelsea. Such a fun period as a Chelsea fan seeing him display his magic.
Simon was amazed about Zola's character. Yes, there are people like him.
In Cornwall there is very little football, its more a rugby county. I hadnt watched a game in my life and was one of those poor misguided that thought the game was simply a bunch of lads kicking a ball around. In 1996 i was in a pub near Truro and the Chelsea match was on. I glanced at it a couple of times and then i saw a little guy in a yellow away shirt. He moved like a dancer and had the balance of a gymnast. I watched him outclass anyone that came near him time and time again and it was at that moment i realised i was utterly wrong about football. This guy made it beautiful and cerebral, graceful and razor-sharp. Thankyou Gianfranco Zola for giving me the love of football. Nearly three decades later and still my faverite player of all time.
I became ardent fan of his since the first time seeing him playing for Parma and off course the late Gianluca Vialli/Juventus.❤️⚽️
What i always thought about zola,a brilliant player but more importantly a brilliant bloke
What absolute class act as a player and more importantly as a person,there are a lot of players and people in general that could & should take note of how to be humble,great interview Simon,Best Of Luck Gianfranco in whatever you do in the future 👍👍👏👏
Loving the guests. Now it's Sardinia's finest
What a guy. Brilliant player. Great Guy. And his english is really good
Bravo Gianfranco, I remember sadly the World Cup 1994 in USA when we lost the final to Brazil and his unfair sending off. A true gentleman and an artist of the game
as a united fan, I used to love watching him play. one of those players you would pay to watch. not many of them. also, what a person. honest and insightful. brilliant interview.
Legendary player, a real class act 👍
What a humble man
My favourite Chelsea without doubt a true Chelsea legend 💙
As a Chelsea supporter since the sixties, the two most gifted players for me, are Peter Osgood and Gianfranco Zola.
I think Hazard deserves an honourable mention.
As a kid going to the bridge.. I had Nevin, as a young adult I had Zola... Both Unbelievable players , entertainers. Just magical.
Premier league 90s legend
I am a arsenal fan. But i dont understand he hardly gets mentioned as one of the best players to play in england.
Chelsea v Norwich, greame le saux corner kick and a zola touch into the net of pure genius and brilliance
Great job, Simon! Really enjoyed this
Great player. i first became aware of him, watching a football italia goals vhs video. peter brackley in commentary said he was maradona's understudy. even then, i thought, wow! what a player. shame he couldnt become a great manager. one of football's good guys
I was born in 89 and Zola was probably the first player to catch my eye as a kid.
Arsenal fan here....Zola was incredible....a true footballing wizard !!...⭐🏐🌟🏐👍
He has a valid point about playing it his way. Watching these younger players now with natural talent taken away from them all in the name of following top much structure, takes away a players instinct rhen you think too much. Premier league now is walking pace passing mostly weeks from goal to defence onwards then back again. It's boring as hell.
Thank you for this wonderful video ❤ I wish it could go on forever
What a wonderful player and equal as a man…great interview SJ
Before Drogba, there was Gianfranco Zola. Brilliant players. A Premier league great alongside Bergkamp and Cantona.
90s legend and a fantastic bloke!
Zola comes on this show rather than Jon Obi ???? Franco Zola has a heart of pure gold. Much ❤ absolutely love this man. He braced two of my fave teams; Parma and Chelsea. La la la la Zola
What a class player and a true gentleman. As a Spurs fan, always gutted that he never joined us...would have been a Spurs legend.
Gianfranco Zola25 an absolute Joy to watch as always👍💙
lovely man, amazing player...respect
An absolute gentleman and want a player he was ❤️
MaraZola filled in the gap left by Maradona at Napoli and Diego acknowledged this, brilliant player.
A true gentleman
Brilliant 👏
Great interview with a legend and a gentleman of the game. Whether you love or hate Simon Jordan , there is no doubting his interviewing skills , first class.
In the top three greatest ever foreign players in the Premier league, easily.
Not in the top 3 for chelsea nevermind prem
@@francishughes3422 shows how little you know about football mate. Throbber🤣🤣
@NH-bz9jv Hazard drogba cech easy work helmet 😂😂😂 other teams be here all day sausage
@@francishughes3422stupid comment of the day 👏🏻 Zola is Chelsea’s greatest ever player
@@paulm1656 agreed mate, the blokes a twat🤣
Beautiful person and player.
Great player & a other great interview .
Some special talent
What a lovely fellow
True gentleman and a great player
That F.A cup goal where he sold that Wimbledon defender turns back so fast and placed the ball so weetly at the bottom corner...and wow those were one of the moments that played as promotion for the English football to be admired because of this little Italian magician wearing blue and yellow
Class
Legend
Omg what an interview. My favourite player and the best host Simon ! Love ittt. At this stage if take you Zola as our new manager.
Such a nice guy
Zola knows what he’s talking about every professional should listen to this top man
Class act…from a United fan..
Torquay united
One of the greatest players of his generation, a great generation for Italian football. And an equally great guy.
I remember him ones grabbing an opponents T-shirt the ref comes over and sees Zola smiling and he opts not to give the yellow card that Zola deserved because of his calm demeaner and doing all those magical things
Surprised there wasn’t more conversation about Viali.
I remember him dribbling past all Everton defenders including the goal keeper and before he rolled the ball to the met he sees jerper grokjer racing from the right flank who rarely scored and he waits for him and when those defenders stood up to block him from scoring and we thought oh Zola what is that you did 😮😮 he rolls the ball and to Jesper who shoots hits it with force and scored..that was a special goal because of how zola decided to help Jesper score and pick his feeling up and the whole reams come to congratulate Zola s if he was the one who did the scoring and not Jesper
That Parma side was crazy good, i just dont see the quality of players in todays game. Maybe im wrong, any chance of getting Keane on?
Classy guy!
Zola is a gentleman and deserves respect 🫡 Chelsea’s Legend Zola 😊
Forever my idol
my hero
Speaks better English than Harry Kane.
Harry has a touch of spectrum that's why but he's a cool guy.
Speaks better English than most British footballers.
The whole reason I fell in love with Chelsea a wonderful player a true gentlemen
Zola the legend
Brilliant
Arsenal fan, but This bloke, is the only player i didn't despise at Chelsea at the time. I couldn't stand them because of players like Dennis wise, Frank Sinclair and Graeme Le Saux, but Zola was so bloody good and always played with a smile, got a soft spot for him.
Zola’s problem in the world we are living in is that he is a true nice man.
little genius
Always reminded me of the main Fratelli brother in Goonies.
little magician class
Used to love watching Zola when he played with them.
Love the questions Jordan asks and not afraid to ask questions others don’t
Long as you learned something
Zola the man gets in to chelsea best 11 Drogba Hazard up front midfield lampard makkalale J. Cole Terry A. Cole R. James m. Dessie p. Chec
Zola you are my hero always have been and always will be from a 32 year old man from Richmond upon Thames I love you my friend 💙
Wanted to hear more about his time at Parma or maybe an Asprilla story
The first time I saw Zola was when he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for Italy at Wembley during qualification for World Cup '98. He beat Ian Walker at his near post. I remember thinking he looked like The Fonze from Happy Days. 😅
Zola had such finesse, very few players had his technical ability.
Him and Hazard were the only reasons I would watch Chelsea play. Very skillful and talented. Arsenal fan.
What a lovely fella.I'm talking about Mr Zola.
Simon Jordan also is a diamond geezer.
5:16 almost exactly what the great golfer Ben Hogan used to say about practice. The greats in any profession love practice, love improvement, react well to setbacks and see the time spent doing it as pleasure, or at least an investment rather than a sacrifice.
That good a player he walks into any Chelsea team in any era
Oozes class
Zola and Santi first two names for me in a 5 a side, both incredible
His English improved a lot in the last 10 years. Remembered seeing him in a TFI Friday skit with Wise and Poyet in the 90s. His English was rudimentary. Now he is amazing. Proper legend Gianfranco. #25. Hope Caiceido can live up to Zola's big shoes