Gianfranco Zola (born July 5, 1966 in Oliena, Sardinia) is an Italian footballer.

Zola signed his first professional contract with Sardinian team Nuorese in 1984. Five years later he signed for Napoli in Serie A.

Talented Zola scored two goals as understudy to Diego Maradona as Napoli won the Italian title in 1990. He helped Napoli to win the Italian Super Cup in 1991 and he made his debut in the Italian national side for coach Arrigo Sacchi on the same year.

In 1993 Zola left Napoli and joined fellow Serie A side Parma A.C. He won the UEFA Cup with Parma and were runners-up in Serie A and the Italian Cup in 1995.

In 1996, Zola joined Premier division football club Chelsea F.C. He won the FA Cup with Chelsea and was voted the English Football Writers' Player of the Year in 1997: the only player ever to receive the accolade without playing an entire season. He helped Chelsea win the English League Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and Super Cup in 1998. He helped Chelsea to win FA Cup again in 2000.

Zola left Chelsea and joined for Cagliari, club from his native Sardinia, in 2003, with whom he obtained the promotion to the Italian Serie A. Then he renewed this summer his contract for Cagliari Calcio for one more year, announcing his retirement as soccer player for the end of the current season.

Zola won 35 international caps scoring eight goals. He won his first international cap in November 1991. He last played in World Cup qualifier against England in Rome in October 1997.

In early 2003, 'franco was voted as the best ever player of the team by the Chelsea fans. In November 2004 he was awarded an OBE - Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in a special ceremony in Rome.

bg:Джанфранко Дзола ja:ジャンフランコ・ゾラ