Zola: My surprise at Queen
CHELSEA legend
Gianfranco Zola has revealed how he was left stunned when the Queen called him, “The great Italian footballer”.
Zola, 56, took to social media following the monarch’s death on Thursday to recall a meeting with her and Prince Philip at the British Embassy in Rome in November 2004.
Zola said: “When I was introduced to her she told me, ‘The great Italian footballer’. I was over the moon. I did not expect such recognition.
“I have an indelible memory of the meeting and her sublime bearing.
“She was a splendid lady, never banal, always informed on any subject.
“She whispered, but caught you with her eyes. She had unique grace and an unrivalled elegance.
“I have been asked what her main characteristic was. For me, it was just her movement. I spent seven years with Chelsea and I immediately understood the extraordinary magnetism the Queen has with her subjects.”
Zola, later awarded an OBE for services to English football, still keeps a photo of the meeting above the fireplace at his London home.
The scroll of honour for his OBE describes him as ‘the most enduring foreign player in the history of Chelsea, an excellent football ambassador and the ideal model for young fans’.
Zola joined Chelsea from Parma in 1996 having spent the early part of his career as understudy to Diego Maradona at Napoli.
He became an instant hero at Stamford Bridge, helping the Blues win two FA Cups, the League Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup and European Super Cup.
But his class won him admirers wherever he played – and in 1997 he was named Footballer of the Year by the FWA.
He was later assistant to Maurizio Sarri at the
Bridge before Frank Lampard took over as head coach in July 2019.