Gianfranco Zola won six trophies with Chelsea from 1996 to 2003, earning numerous accolades and a spot in the English Football Hall of Fame. Now retired as a player, Zola has created a new way to put smiles on people’s faces: real Italian-style ice cream.
The Daily Mail has reported that Zola has just opened up an ice cream store in south London, with the help of several of his former Chelsea teammates. Zola credited Dennis Wise and Roberto Di Matteo, along with Zola’s friend Andriy Shevchenko (another former Chelsea player) with helping him open his new gelato store.
“We do gelato, make coffee as well, some hot chocolate and some cakes and a little bit of everything,” Zola said. “I am not the only one, only one of the owners.
“We were fed up with travelling to Bologna every time to have a proper ice cream. It’s cheaper to come here. I’m a real ice cream lover and that’s the main reason I’m here.”
Zola has served as a football manager for several years after retiring as a player, with his most recent stint in Europe, with Cagliari, ending in his firing. He was hired as the manager of Al-Arabi in the Qatar Stars League over the summer.
The Chelsea legend also expressed his disappointment in his former club’s Premier League struggles this season, but stopped short of pointing out any person as the responsible party.
“No it hasn’t been good so far,” he said.
“I’m surprised to be honest because after last year I expected them to at least maintain the same standard.
“I really thought that United, City or Arsenal would have to raise their standards to compete with them. To see them struggle is a surprise to me.”
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