MILAN, June 29 (Reuters) - Italian forward Gianfranco Zola announced his
retirement on Wednesday bringing to an end a 21-year glittering career that
graced the English Premier League and Serie A.
"I think this is the right thing to do," local news agencies quoted the
38-year-old as saying. "Some time has passed since the end of the (Serie A)
championship but I needed to reflect a bit.
"Now that my career is finished I can say that I am happy with what I have
achieved. Not everyone can say that they set themselves an objective and
reached it -- I did that and it is very satisfying" said Zola who ended his
career with Cagliari on the island of Sardinia where he was born.
Zola, whose diminutive frame contained abundant trickery, humour and guile,
made his name at Italian Serie A side Naples as understudy to Diego Maradona
and then won the UEFA Cup with Parma in 1995.
He joined English premier league side Chelsea in 1996 to begin a seven-year
stint in which fans came to adore him and opposition defences grew to fear him.
Team mates frequently commented on Zola's dedicated approach to training and
personal fitness even in the final years of his career when he enjoyed most of
his success.
But the striker, who will celebrate his 39th birthday on Tuesday, said that his
years in the game had simply been great fun.
"It has been great. I didn't go through all these years thinking of it as work
but simply as enjoyment.
"When people have asked what has been the secret behind such a long career in
the game I have always replied that I played for fun and that it was a pleasure
to train and to enter the field on a Sunday," said Zola.
BEST FORM
Unlike many players whose skill and stamina fade with age, Zola arguably found
his best form at Chelsea, scoring 80 goals and helping the current English
champions to six trophies, including the European Cup Winners' Cup, but not the
league title.
Chelsea's fans voted him their best ever player in 2003 before he left to join
Italian side Cagliari, helping them to promotion to the top flight.
Last year, he was awarded an OBE for services to British soccer in a special
ceremony in Rome.
But while adored in west London and admired throughout the game, Zola only won
35 international caps for Italy and made just six appearances for the Azzurri
during his years at Chelsea.
His last appearance for Italy was in the goalless draw against England in a
World Cup qualifier in October 1997 at Rome's Olympic stadium.
A career which began in the regional leagues with Sardinian club Nuorese ended
back on home soil with Zola helping Cagliari re-establish themselves in Serie
A.
He scored 13 goals in the Serie B promotion campaign and then helped Cagliari
to the semi-finals of the Italian Cup and a comfortable mid-table finish this
season.
"Everyone knows that I came to Cagliari full of passion and with a dream -- to
give my help to the team in getting back to Serie A and staying there. We did
it and that fills me with pride," he said.
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