Chelsea legend says Blues was ‘most beautiful moment’ of his career – Tuchel’s team ‘extraordinary’

Signing for Chelsea in 1997 for a fee of just over £5.5m, Gianfranco Zola never expected to impact the club the way he did.

Staying with the Blues for six years until his free transfer to Cagliari in 2003, the diminutive Italian featured 302 times for the Premier League side in all competitions, scoring 76 goals and assisting another 22.

Widely considered a Chelsea legend now, the 55-year-old returned to the club a few years ago as Maurizio Sarri’s assistant manager, where he stayed until June 2019.

With Lille about to face his former side in the Champions League, So Foot sat down with Zola who was quizzed on all aspects of the London side, including what the club meant to him.

He said: “Chelsea was the most beautiful moment of my career. Napoli and Parma were also very beautiful experiences who made me grow as a player, but I gave the best version of myself at Chelsea… I received so much affection from the fans. It made me fall in love of the place and the people.”

Playing alongside many stars, Zola was also asked to name the craziest teammate during his time at Stamford Bridge.

He added: “There’s been many, but I’d say Dennis Wise, who had a positive craziness. On the pitch, he was capable of becoming like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. 

“He was really good with the ball in his feet, very dynamic, but sometimes he became Mr Hyde and could get sent off whenever.”

As for any tips he might have for Lille, who play his beloved Chelsea this week, Zola made it clear the Ligue 1 side would have to pull off ‘two exceptional games’ if they are to stand a chance at making it to the next round.

Why? “Because this Chelsea is an extraordinary team.”