Former ace and manager is remembered as one of the 's most technically skilled and creative players.
The playmaker made over 300 appearances in Chelsea blue, and providing 42 assists. He bid farewell to England in 2003 but made a comeback in 2008, this time .
As a manager, Zola earned praise for his , before taking the reins at and Birmingham City and at Stamford Bridge for the 2018/19 season.
Zola now reappears on our screens for Sky Sports' Monday Night , where he'll witness two of his former teams go head-to-head. Mirror Football delves into the Italian's amassed wealth, his dispute with former Blues owner Roman Abramovich, his rarely-seen wife and his current role in football.
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What is Gianfranco Zola's net worth?Zola enjoyed a career at the pinnacle of European football for over 10 years, and his various transfers, from Napoli to Parma in 1993 and Parma to Chelsea in 1996, for example, saw him exchanged for a significant sum and himself handsomely rewarded.
He also held managerial roles at several top clubs, and, for his efforts, estimates that Zola's fortune currently sits at an impressive £29million.
After joining Rudd Gullit's Chelsea in 1996, the Italian is believed to have earned a staggering £2m per year. However, he left this lucrative deal in 2003 to join Cagliari, where he would only earn a reported £400,000 annually, much to the chagrin of former Chelsea owner Abramovich.
Did Gianfranco Zola clash with Roman Abramovich? Zola's time at Chelsea ended in the summer of 2003 when he reportedly agreed on a verbal contract with Serie B side Cagliari in his native Sardinia, coinciding with Russian billionaire Abramovich's purchase of the Blues.
Rumours circulated that Abramovich was eager to keep Zola at Stamford Bridge, but the player, being a man of his word, wouldn't break his promise to Cagliari.
Reports suggest that Abramovich even tried to buy Zola's new club when the forward wouldn't break his pre-contract agreement and return to Chelsea, though this is unconfirmed. Zola went on to lead Cagliari to promotion the following season before retiring after the next campaign.
Is Gianfranco Zola married? Zola is married to wife Francesca, also known as Franca, and they have three children together. Their son, Andrea, followed in his father's footsteps and took to the football pitch.
He played for Essex-based non-league side Grays Athletic and his father's former employers, West Ham's reserves, before reportedly retiring in 2011.
Martina, Zola and his wife's daughter, was also reported to have made her professional martial arts debut in June 2023 at a top jiu-jitsu event.
What does Gianfranco Zola do now? Despite hanging up his boots in June 2005 and going on to manage the Hammers, Watford, his hometown Cagliari, Qatar-based Al-Arabi and Birmingham City, as well as a stint as an assistant under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea, Zola hasn't left football behind.
The 58-year-old currently serves as vice-president of Lega Pro or Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico, the governing body that operates the Serie C - the Italian third division. Zola serves under Lega Pro president Matteo Marani, who was re-elected to his position in 2024. Thus, it is likely that the former Chelsea and man will stay in his post until 2028.
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