Chelsea legend joins Ryder Cup backroom team in surprise role

Updated: 24 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Chelsea legend joins Ryder Cup backroom team in surprise role

Former Chelsea hero Gianfranco Zola has taken on a surprise role at the 2025 Ryder Cup, joining Europe's backroom staff at Bethpage Black in New York.

The 59-year-old, who became a Stamford Bridge icon in the late 1990s, is serving as the designated buggy driver for his compatriot and Europe vice-captain Francesco Molinari.

Zola, a passionate golfer himself, has formed a close friendship with Molinari, who invited him to assist Luke Donald's European team during preparations for the showdown with the USA.

From Stamford Bridge to the Fairways

Zola won two FA Cups, a League Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup during his glittering Chelsea career.

Now, instead of orchestrating attacks on the pitch, he is helping Europe navigate one of the toughest golf courses in the world.

As well as ferrying Molinari around the Black Course, Zola has been offering advice on coping with hostile crowds, drawing on his own experiences of dealing with intense atmospheres in English football.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Zola explained:

First of all you have to be able to enter a kind of protection bubble. This is one of the first things you learn in football because the environment can be so hostile.

You need to use it to your advantage, to get motivated by it. From what I see, they [Team Europe] look so comfortable, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Life After Chelsea

Zola has not worked in football since leaving his role as Chelsea assistant manager in 2019.

Prior to that, he managed West Ham United, Watford, Cagliari, Al-Arabi and Birmingham City.

Whilst his Ryder Cup role may have raised eyebrows, Zola's sporting pedigree, leadership experience and calmness under pressure could prove invaluable as Europe prepare for a fiery contest in New York.

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