Chelsea football legend Gianfranco Zola was in town recently as part of Chelsea Football Club’s flagship international fan engagement event, The Famous CFC – its first in Southeast Asia. The Blues thrilled both passionate Chelsea fans and Ascott Star Rewards members when they were in Singapore on Nov 3 and Dec 1 in collaboration with presenting partner The Ascott Limited.
Anchored at lyf Funan Singapore, with additional activities at The Robertson House by The Crest Collection and Ascott Orchard Singapore, the two-day festivities saw hundreds of fans interact with Zola and celebrate the team’s continued run of impressive wins. The weekend featured football coaching clinics, a watch party for Chelsea’s match against Aston Villa (the club won 3-0 in the Premier League match, much to the delight of fans), and exclusive meet-and-greet opportunities.
SG Magazine caught up with Zola at a Fireside Chat where he shared personal reflections on his illustrious career, his thoughts on Chelsea FC and his experience in Singapore.
What were your proudest moments as a footballer?
One of my proudest moments was when I scored my first goal in Serie A against Atalanta. It was very very good for me, it was the beginning of my experience in Serie A. That was when I first [joined] the national team. You need to know that I became a footballer because of the national team in 1982. I was 16 years old, and I watched Italy play against Spain, and we won the World Cup. That is the main reason why I became a footballer.
The second proudest moment was winning my first FA Cup with Chelsea. That was mind-blowing, because I didn’t know how important it was – the FA Cup for the English and in particular, for the Chelsea supporters as the club didn’t win for 35 years, so when we won that, you know, that was really special.
How does it feel to be called a football legend?
It makes me very very proud. I was a simple guy like all of us, and I worked hard on what was my passion. I really spent a lot of time and energy to become a better person and a better player. So obviously when you spend so much effort, you achieve results. You feel the top of the world. The good days are gone. They are the past, sometimes I get sad because I don’t play football anymore but then I think about all the good things that I’ve had and where I started, and I feel so good and proud of that.
Who do you think in Chelsea FC that has the potential to become the next legend?
Well nowadays everyone is talking about Cole Palmer, and this guy is doing amazing things. He’s one of those players that I think nobody expected to grow so quickly and so much. So I’m sure he’s on the way to becoming one of them, and we wish he will bring to the club a lot of success. I’m sure he has the potential to become a big legend.
What are your observations on the increasing number of Asian players in European leagues?
More and more Asian players are becoming players in Europe. I think it is down to the work and passion for football in Asia. Actually to be honest, I know that in Asia, [people were] very passionate, because in the 90s, Italian football was seen a lot in Asia. I’ve been told my main sponsor was Mizuno which is a Japanese company, and they always told me that it was very, very popular.
But now I think the training system, methods, and also the players… they have more opportunities to come and play in Europe, and this is making them better. So this is very good, I’m pleased about that. That’s the good thing about football, it has no frontiers. As long as you have passion, good method and discipline, you can become somebody. I’m pleased for all Asians that they are doing so well.
You’ve been in Singapore for a couple of days now. How has your experience been?
It’s very good, I enjoyed it. Quite hot weather! The local food is very good.
For the latest updates on exclusive offers from Ascott’s partnership with Chelsea, including the upcoming editions of The Famous CFC, visit www.discoverasr.com/en/ascott- chelseafc.
