This Week In Football History: Zola's magical flick

Gianfranco Zola, the Premier League's most beloved Italian

Gianfranco Zola was adored by Chelsea fans and beloved by the rest of us. He played football with a constant smile, and back in January 2002, he scored one of the FA Cup's most unique goals. Adrian North recounts his greatest goal...

January 16, 2002 - Chelsea 4-0 Norwich, Stamford Bridge: Zola's magical flick.

During the same period that Roberto Mancini was being overshadowed by the bigger names of Vialli, Del Piero, Baggio and Totti, over in England football fans had come to fall in love with another of Italy's great Number 10s.

He is undoubtedly the greatest Italian to ever grace the Premier League - Gianfranco Zola. (Sorry Paulo Di Canio, but Zola was better)

Standing tall at just 5'7 Zola was the antithesis to one of the most clichd stereotypes of English football. We all know that no small foreign playmaker can ever get used to the 'physicality and fast pace of the Premier League'. And for the most part, this annoyingly overused truism has been true. But for every Shevchenko, Brolin, Veron, and Kleberson there is a Juninho, Oscar or Zola.

The Premier League legacy of Zola is one of extreme rarity - he is one of football's very few players to be loved by everyone. Nutmegs, Cruyff turns, and mazy dribbles, all pulled off with a permanent smile, Zola made it almost impossible to not be loved.

Adored by Chelsea fans, Zola's seven years at Stamford Bridge saw him enjoy two FA Cup victories in 1997 and 2000 and a Cup Winners' Cup trophy in 1998, in which he scored the winning goal in the final.

However when both Zola and Gianluca Vialli arrived at the Bridge in the summer of 96 it was assumed that Vialli was to be supported by a younger and updated version of Roberto Mancini. But where Mancini had largely played second fiddle to Vialli's genius, Zola went one better. Vialli struggled in England for the most part. But for Zola, Chelsea became his home.

And Zola did indeed play like an updated version of Mancini. In their primes I would argue that Mancini was a marginally better player but if ever there were two Italian playmakers that could be so closely compared those players would be Zola and Mancini. And on January 16, 2002, Zola drew his greatest parallel with Mancini by scoring one the FA Cup's most unique goals.

During a comfortable 4-0 FA Cup third round victory against Norwich midway through the second half Zola made a near post run for a Graeme Le Saux corner. The Italian flicked the ball between the keeper and near post, and as is the case with Mancini's back-heel goal it was difficult to tell in real time quite how he had scored.

The replay, at 0:40 of the video linked above, showed that the little Italian had Cruyff volleyed the ball into the near top corner. Undeniably one the FA Cup's greatest goals, and his celebration with one the fans from the front row just about summed the man up.

And on a somewhat related note, and perhaps the reason I love Zola as much as I do - he is also guilty of performing the funniest hissy-fit in World Cup history after being ridiculously sent off against Nigeria at USA 94. You just have to feel sorry for the poor guy here.