{"id":17654,"date":"2025-12-17T12:09:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T12:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/17\/chelsea-legend-gianfranco-zola-explains-why-cole-palmer-and-estevao-are-key-to-making-the-clubs-future-promising\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T12:09:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T12:09:49","slug":"chelsea-legend-gianfranco-zola-explains-why-cole-palmer-and-estevao-are-key-to-making-the-clubs-future-promising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/17\/chelsea-legend-gianfranco-zola-explains-why-cole-palmer-and-estevao-are-key-to-making-the-clubs-future-promising\/","title":{"rendered":"Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola explains why Cole Palmer and Estevao are key to making the club’s future ‘promising’"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Highlights: Atalanta return talks, Chelsea top eight exit\n<\/p>\n

Video credit: TNT Sports<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Cole Palmer has often been compared to Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola for his deft play and brilliant individual goals.<\/div>\n

Zola played 229 games for the Blues from 1996 to 2003 and was one of the league’s most notable players.<\/p>\n

Palmer, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023, has a reputation as a player who can create something out of nothing and change the game with his own power.<\/p>\n

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca recently said of Palmer and Zola: “They are quite similar in terms of quality and in terms of seeing things on the pitch that others don’t see.”<\/div>\n

So what does former Chelsea great Zola think of current Chelsea great Palmer?<\/p>\n

“I love watching him play,” Zola told TNT Sports’ Ally McCoist.<\/p>\n

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‘This kid is a genius’ – Palmer has ‘something very unique’<\/p>\n

Video credit: TNT Sports<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“I looked at his background and he comes from playing on the streets and in the parks. You can see it in the way he plays. He’s smart and he has a smart mentality that comes from playing with adults on the streets.”<\/p>\n

“You can see he has that and I love that. It’s an edge that’s going to give him a lot in the future.”<\/p>\n

And Palmer wasn’t the only one who caught Zola’s attention.<\/p>\n

Another Chelsea star he admires is Estevao, the Brazilian teenager who attracted attention with his stunning goal against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in late November.<\/div>\n

“He’s brave and he’s not afraid to take responsibility. We need players like that,” Zola said.<\/p>\n

“Especially these days, it’s a type of football where there are a lot of left-to-right, right-to-left passes. Sometimes you have to be brave and take chances, you risk losing the ball, but you should try to do something important.” <\/p>\n

“People want to go to the stadium and see that. I want to see that. I want to see people being brave and trying hard things.”<\/p>\n

Chelsea have been without Palmer for most of this season due to injury, but they have performed well in his absence and remain in the top four of the Champions League, two points clear of the top eight.<\/div>\n

Zola said he is impressed with the team and believes the young team has great potential.<\/p>\n

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‘Shining star’ – Estevao scores Chelsea’s ‘amazing’ second goal in Bar\u00e7a rout<\/p>\n

Video credit: TNT Sports<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“When I look at them now, they look very strong. They are a very well-coached and organized team, with a lot of talent in different areas of the pitch. They also have a lot of energy, which is a big strength. They are probably one of the youngest teams in Europe,” Zola said.<\/p>\n

“I didn’t think it would work out. It’s very important to have young players in the team, but you need experience, because that’s the coaching.” <\/p>\n

“But the model seems to be working very well and Maresca has done a great job. He gives the whole team structure and everyone knows what they are doing.” <\/p>\n

“Even without Cole Palmer, they still performed well and that was remarkable. How far can they go? The potential is very high and football has its ups and downs, but they have a future.”<\/p>\n

– – –<\/p>\n

Stream the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more with TNT Sports and Discovery+<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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Highlights: Atalanta return talks, Chelsea top eight exit Video credit: TNT Sports Cole Palmer has often been compared to Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola for his deft play and brilliant individual goals. Zola played 229 games for the Blues from 1996 to 2003 and was one of the league’s most notable players. Palmer, who joined Chelsea<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-17654","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-english-premier-league"},"yoast_head":"\nChelsea legend Gianfranco Zola explains why Cole Palmer and Estevao are key to making the club's future 'promising' - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/17\/chelsea-legend-gianfranco-zola-explains-why-cole-palmer-and-estevao-are-key-to-making-the-clubs-future-promising\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola explains why Cole Palmer and Estevao are key to making the club's future 'promising' - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News & Updates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Highlights: Atalanta return talks, Chelsea top eight exit Video credit: TNT Sports Cole Palmer has often been compared to Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola for his deft play and brilliant individual goals. 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