Cagliari call tempts Zola home
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Article summary
Chelsea FC favourite Gianfranco Zola has returned to Italy to play for Cagliari Calcio in Serie B.
Article body
Chelsea FC favourite Gianfranco Zola has returned home to Italy after seven years in London and will play for Sardinian Serie B club Cagliari Calcio next season.
Greatest player
Zola, voted the greatest player in Chelsea's history in a poll last season, had been offered another year with the English Premiership side after his contract ran out. The Sardinian-born forward played for SSC Napoli and Parma AC in Italy before moving to Chelsea in 1996 for €6.5m.
Cup successes
Zola won the FA Cup twice with Chelsea and the UEFA European Cup Winners' Cup in 1998 and was capped 35 times by Italy, scoring nine goals. The west London club was taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich on Tuesday. "Gianfranco Zola regretfully told Chelsea today that despite the club offering him terms with which he could agree, he would be honouring his promise to join Cagliari," read a statement on the Chelsea website.
'Joy to watch'
"Zola was undoubtedly one of Chelsea's greatest players ever," said chairman Ken Bates. "He's been a joy to watch and a great influence both on and off the field, particularly because of his great interest with young fans. We owe him one hell of a lot of thanks. On behalf of every Chelsea fan I wish him and his family all the very best of good fortune in the future."
Fresh offer
Chelsea chief executive Trevor Birch said: "When the new investors came in it was the very first issue on the agenda. As a result of additional resources being made available we were able to offer terms which satisfied him, but being the man he is he felt that having given his word to his home island club he would have to leave us and join them."
Friendly match
Chelsea will meet Cagliari at Stamford Bridge so the club's faithful can say farewell to Zola, who has signed a one-year contract with his new club. "I'm delighted that we hope to see him back at Stamford Bridge with the Cagliari team," concluded Bates. Cagliari have also signed another English-based Italian, the former Middlesbrough FC and Portsmouth FC defender Gianluca Festa.
