A Ryder Cup champion! Ex-Chelsea star explains how he ended up on the European team and compares 'thrill' of golf tournament to World Cup

Zola has lifted league titles, European cups and worn Italy’s colours on the grandest stage of all. Yet none of those moments made him smile quite like the Ryder Cup did last week. At 58, the Chelsea icon found himself back in a team environment - this time not on a football pitch, but on the fairways of New York.

The Chelsea legend added the Ryder Cup to his personal trophy cabinet, not as a player, but as part of Team Europe’s inner circle. His official role was humble, driving Francesco “Chicco” Molinari’s golf cart, but his presence stretched far beyond. From supporting players’ families to lifting team morale, Zola became a thread in the tight fabric of Europe’s victory.

"It's like the World Cup. Sure, I was a key player in the championship in Naples, but the emotional comparison is fair. The experience was wonderful, especially because I'm a genuine golf fan; I love it. So, spending a week like this was truly a step back in time. The same joy, the same emotions," Zola said to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Ryder Cup, golf’s most prestigious team competition, pits Europe against the USA every two years in a battle of pride, pressure, and passion. This year Team Europe secured a thrilling victory at Bethpage Black, overcoming a late surge from Team USA to clinch their first win on American soil in 13 years.

Zola’s golf journey began in London in 1996, when Gianluca Vialli convinced him to pick up a club. His first attempt – “a half-flappa,” as he recalls – sparked a passion that grew into an obsession. Now a handicap 2 golfer, he plays once or twice a week and treats practice like the training sessions of his football days.

"He was fundamental in my life for a thousand reasons. We were together at Chelsea, and he was the one who introduced me to golf. It was 1996 and I had just moved to London. He invited me to play a few rounds, but I didn’t want to and said no. Luckily, he insisted," he said.

It was his friendship with Molinari that brought him to New York. “Francesco Molinari called me and asked me if I wanted to be his go-kart driver. I thought it was a joke… I have to be honest, Francesco is a friend, but it’s clear he’s gone beyond what I could have imagined,” Zola shared.

For Team Europe, the surprise guest became more than a helper. His elite sports experience and light-hearted presence resonated with players like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry. Justin Rose even admitted to being “starstruck” when he first saw Zola in the team room.

The former Italy international's week in New York felt like stepping back into the most intense, joyful locker rooms of his football career. The camaraderie, the banter, and the shared sense of purpose reminded him of the bonds that define elite team sports.

“Absolutely yes. Even today when I happen to meet up with former teammates from Napoli or Parma it’s as if time had never passed: we immediately start joking and having fun, it will be the same with the whole group in New York," he said.

The Ryder Cup gave him an insider’s look at leadership in another sport, highlighting the similarities between football management and golf team dynamics. Zola admired Luke Donald’s approach, from meticulous long-term planning to precise communication that kept the entire European team unified.

“A great communicator, he and his entire staff of vice-captains are very good at getting their thoughts across. Able to defuse tensions, we spent a week joking and laughing together, an atmosphere that helped warm the soul. Life is like that, you have to joke and not give yourself too much importance, it moves too fast to take it too seriously,” shares Zola.

Handling pressure was another shared lesson. Watching Rory McIlroy confront hostile American crowds with grace and determination reminded Zola of the resilience needed in top-level football.

“Because he’s the greatest of all, he was fantastic, he responded like a gentleman and a champion, just like Shane Lowry, who played with him. They were extraordinary. They played great and at the same time they put those fans who had gone too far in their place”

Finally, the rhythm of preparation and pursuit of excellence in golf mirrored the meticulous attention to detail that Zola cherished in football.

“I’m currently at a handicap of 2 and I want to get to 0, then I’ll want to be at a handicap of 2, then even better. In golf, I’m trying to maintain the same philosophy I had in football: trying to be a little better every day than I was the day before. Once you reach a goal, you have to immediately set another one, otherwise you get complacent, you become a creature of habit, and I don’t like that,” Zola said.

The Ryder Cup offered Zola a rare perspective: the joy of being fully part of a team outside his primary sport. Beyond the golf itself, he contributed in countless small ways—joking with teammates’ children, supporting players’ families, and sharing insights drawn from his football career. These moments of connection and fun highlighted the unifying power of sport.

“They are three very important people to me. But I would also add my father, to whom I owe everything. Then, clearly, Gigi meant a lot; he was a symbol of Sardinia. Diego was for us kids who dreamed of playing football what McIlroy is for golfers today: the best, the best, the dream to achieve. I heard Tommy Fleetwood, another super champion, say how important it was to hear Rory’s appreciation.”

His personal reflections ran deep. The athletes and legends around him became reminders of the people who shaped his life and career.

“Diego, Gigi, Riva, my father—they’re always with me,” Zola said when asked who he would wear on his heart like Olazábal’s tribute to Ballesteros. “They shaped me. Golf, in some ways, keeps me connected to them.”