Gianfranco Zola has named his greatest team-mates XI – and included three former Chelsea players.
Zola is an all-time Blues great, having lit up the Premier League during his playing days as one of English football’s most brilliant imports.
During his seven years at Stamford Bridge, he scored 80 goals and provided 42 assists – with the Italian departing just a year before Roman Abramovich’s big money takeover.
Prior to joining Chelsea in 1996, Zola played alongside some of the game’s biggest names while at Napoli and Parma as well as in the Italian national team.
The 58-year-old was a studio guest for Sky Sports coverage of Chelsea 2-1 win over West Ham – and he was asked to name his best team-mates.
In goal Zola opted for the legendary Gianluigi Buffon having played alongside him from 1995 until 1997. Lilian Thuram Thuram took the right-back spot despite the pair playing together for just four months in 1997.
Gianfranco Zola was a guest in the Sky Sports studio for Chelsea vs Fulham on Monday night
The italian included John Terry (centre) and Frank Lampard (right) in his all-time team-mates XI
Zola played alongside Diego Maradona as a youngster at Napoli between 1989 and 1991
Franco Baresi, who captained Italy in the 1994 World Cup, was also named in Zola’s XI.
The Chelsea legend was full of praise for the centre-back, saying: ‘Franco was a mix, very intelligent, nasty, quick, tactically he was on a different level.
‘He was always in the right position at the right time. Great leader, didn’t talk too much. He was a silence leader but was always doing the right things. When Franco did something, everyone was following.’
Zola also found room for John Terry in his side even though he was a young defender at the time, with Paolo Maldini taking the left-back spot.
Blues legend Dennis Wise was also included by Zola, who said: ‘I put Dennis in because in those years at Chelsea he was impressive.
‘Not only with what he used to do on the pitch but he was also influential with all the players, keeping everyone together especially the English group with the foreign group.’
Wise is parterened in midfield by fellow Chelsea greats Frank Lampard and Roberto Di Matteo, who played alongside Zola both at club and international level.
Zola played alongside Diego Maradona as a youngster at Napoli between 1989 and 1991 and the Argentina makes up the attack alongside Roberto Baggio and Brazilian Careca.
