Former Chelsea star and West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola will go down as one of the Premier League's most technically gifted and artistic players.

The playmaker made over 300 appearances in blue, scoring 80 goals while adding 42 assists to that tally. He left England in 2003 but returned in 2008, this time blessing the dugout with the Hammers - where he earned plaudits for his accompanying flair - before managing Watford and Birmingham City and acting as Stamford Bridge assistant for the 2018/19 season.

As Zola takes to our screens once again on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, where he’ll see two of his former sides clash, we take a look at the Italian’s racked-up fortune, his row with ex-Blues owner Roman Abramovich, his scarcely-seen wife and his current footballing job.

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What is Gianfranco Zola's net worth?

Zola played at the summit of European football for over a decade, and his various transfers, from Napoli to Parma in 1993 and Parma to Chelsea in 1996, saw him traded for a pretty penny and himself lucratively rewarded with hefty contracts.

He also held managerial positions at various top clubs, and, for his exploits, Celebrity Net Worth estimate that Zola’s fortune currently stands at a whopping £29million.

It is estimated that after joining Rudd Gullit’s Chelsea in 1996, the Italian was on an astounding £2m per year. He left behind this increasingly lucrative deal when keeping to his word and moving to Cagliari in 2003 - where he would only earn a reported £400,000 per annum - much to the disgruntlement of former Chelsea owner Abramovich.

Why did Gianfranco Zola and Roman Abramovich fall out?

Zola’s Chelsea tenure ended in the summer of 2003, and the Italian had reportedly agreed on a verbal contract with Serie B side Cagliari in his native Sardinia, with his deal at Stamford Bridge expiring. This exit aligned with Russian billionaire Abramovich’s purchase of the Blues.

Rumours swirled after this acquisition that Abramovich was more than keen on keeping Zola at Stamford Bridge. However, the player was a man of word and would supposedly not go back on his Cagliari promise.

Further reports suggest that the Russian owner, therefore, attempted to purchase Zola’s new club when the artistic forward wouldn’t renege his pre-contract agreement and return to Chelsea, though this is not confirmed. The forward went on to guide Cagliari to promotion the following season, retiring the campaign after.

Who is Gianfranco Zola's wife?

Zola is married to wife Francesca, née Secci, commonly known as Franca. The pair have been an item for decades, and they have three children together.

Their son, Andrea, followed in his father's footsteps and took to the football pitch. He played for Essex-based non-league side Grays Athletic and his father’s former employers, West Ham’s reserves, before reportedly retiring in 2011.

Martina, Zola and his wife’s daughter, was also reported to have made her professional martial arts debut in June 2023 at a top jiu-jitsu event.

What does Gianfranco Zola do now?

Despite hanging up his boots in June 2005 and going on to manage the Hammers, Watford, his hometown Cagliari, Qatar-based Al-Arabi and Birmingham City, as well as a stint as an assistant under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea, Zola hasn’t left football behind.

The 58-year-old currently serves as vice-president of Lega Pro or Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico, the governing body that operates the Serie C - the Italian third division.

Zola serves under Lega Pro president Matteo Marani, who was re-elected to his position in 2024. Thus, it is likely that the former Chelsea and West Ham man will stay in his post until 2028.