Chelsea great Zola leaves Rose 'starstruck' at Ryder Cup
FARMINGDALE, New York :Former Chelsea soccer great Gianfranco Zola has turned up at the Ryder Cup in the most unlikely of roles – driving a cart for Europe vice captain Francesco Molinari at Bethpage Black.
Zola, who dazzled Stamford Bridge between 1996-2003 with two FA Cups, a League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup to his name, will now get a close-up look at the world of golf as one of the more unexpected faces on Europe's backroom team.
His presence has already made quite the impression on Team Europe, with veteran Justin Rose admitting on Wednesday to being completely "starstruck" when he unexpectedly bumped into Zola.
That is no small reaction from Rose, a 45-year-old Englishman making his seventh Ryder Cup appearance across 17 years and seeking his fifth win as Europe's elder statesman.
"I meet a lot of really cool people in my life through the game of golf. But I was like, 'Whoa! Wow! Hey, Gianfranco!' I was starstruck which is amazing," Rose told reporters, his Chelsea fan credentials clearly showing.
While Zola may not be part of the coaching staff at Bethpage Black, where the three-day competition begins on Friday, Rose believes advice from the Italian could prove invaluable should the right moment arise.
Europe are looking to retain the Ryder Cup with their first road win since 2012, and a champion like Zola who knows about performing under pressure – albeit in a different sport – could provide a timely boost.
"If there's a moment that he observes and can kind of chime in and can understand the pressure or can understand momentum or locker room mentality, then obviously there's probably going to be something this week where he can relay a really powerful message," said Rose.
"Hopefully he has that opportunity because I'd love to hear it."
