Gianfranco Zola remembers watching his hero at Napoli.
In the first issue of a new magazine, The Boot Room, exclusively for member’s of the recently-launched FA Licensed Coaches’ Club, former Chelsea man Gianfranco Zola speaks about his heroes growing up, and that imagination on the pitch can help good players become great ones... Gianfranco Zola, quite rightly, takes his place alongside Messrs Bergkamp and Cantona in the list of foreign talent who have imported footballing treasures to these shores. Of this, there isn’t a whisper of doubt.
During six and a half years at Chelsea, Zola won The FA Cup twice, the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup. He was also crowned Footballer of the Year in 1997. It was with little surprise that the popular Italian was voted Chelsea’s all-time best player in 2003.
Those fortunate enough to share the training ground with him probably felt his impact strongest. Stories about afternoons curling endless free-kicks into the top corner of a goal guarded by bemused youth team goalkeepers have been elevated to the almost mythical.
However, as much as it is hard to envisage, Zola once played the role of gawping youngster himself. Understandable, when the subject of his admiration was reserved for a certain Diego Armando Maradona.
“Not only was Maradona an inspiration for me but I could get ideas from him. When I first went there [Napoli], I saw him do things that I didn’t even know it was possible to do. So for me it gave me something to work on and something to visualise and something I had to do.
“Obviously, I couldn’t do everything he was doing because Maradona was such a good player, but it took me on a different level because somehow he made my borders [of imagination] bigger.”
It’s no surprise that Zico and Platini complete Zola’s list of other inspirations. Concoctions of deceptive movement and deft and delicacy in possession, all were players who were transformed into icons.
“You have to let the imagination and creativity of a player develop. If he is trying something constructive, you’ve got to let it go.
“Sometimes you have to try things which are difficult.” The Italian added.
“Work a lot on the imagination. If you want to do something, if you want to get better and better, you have to picture what you want to do.”
There’s few better to impart advice.
The full interview with Zola is one a host of great features in issue one of The Boot Room. You can also hear from, among others, Stuart pearce, Sammy Lee and Aidy Boothroyd in the Coaches' Forum, read about the role of the 'decision-maker' on the pitch, plus a guide to grassroots coaching.
The Boot Room is a quarterly publication for members of The FA Licensed Coaches' Club.
The Licensed Coaches Club replaces FACA and will cost coaches fulfilling the relevant criteria* just £12 to affiliate every season.
*FA Licensed Coaches' Club membership criteria: Minimum of a Level One coaching qualification, FA/HSE Emergency Aid Certificate, Safeguarding children certificate and FA CRB check.
