Greatest Chelsea XI of all time

Who makes it to Chelsea's greatest ever XI?
Who makes it to Chelsea's greatest ever XI?

CAM: Gianfranco Zola

Gianfranco Zola in his Chelsea shirt
Gianfranco Zola in his Chelsea shirt

Former Chelsea forward Gianfranco Zola is one of the most exciting players ever to grace Stamford Bridge. The Italian attacker joined Chelsea in 1996 from Parma and went on to become a cult figure and club legend.

He scored 80 goals in 312 appearances for Chelsea, winning the Premier League Football Writers' Player of the Year award in the 1996-97 season despite arriving halfway through the campaign. Zola was voted as Chelsea's greatest ever player in 2003.

He won seven major trophies during his spell at the club, including the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, League Cup and Community Shield. Zola's wizardry on the pitch could be attributed to the fact that he understudied Diego Maradona as a youngster at Napoli.

Zola left Chelsea after the 2002-03 season and saw his number 25 jersey retired by the club.


RS: Didier Drogba

Chelsea v Sunderland - Premier League
Chelsea v Sunderland - Premier League

The King, as Didier Drogba is fondly known, was the complete definition of a big-game player for Chelsea. The Ivorian striker joined the side from Olympique Marseille at the request of Jose Mourinho in his first season. Drogba scored 164 goals in 381 appearances for Chelsea across two spells.

He scored nine goals in 10 finals for Chelsea, and got the first goal at the new Wembley Stadium in the 2007 FA Cup final against Manchester United. Drogba scored Chelsea's equaliser in the 2012 Champions League final against Bayern Munich before scoring the winning penalty in the shootout.

Drogba finished in the top ten of the Ballon d'Or shortlist in 2006, 2007 and 2009. He won the Premier League's Golden Boot in the 2009-10 season with 29 goals and 13 assists in 32 appearances for Chelsea.

Drogba left Chelsea immediately after the 2012 Champions League triumph and returned for a second spell for one season in 2014-15, winning the league title and the League Cup.


LS: Bobby Tambling

Bobby Tambling in his playing days for Chelsea
Bobby Tambling in his playing days for Chelsea

English striker Bobby Tambling was Chelsea's record goal scorer for 47 years before his tally was surpassed by Frank Lampard. Tambling scored 202 goals in 370 matches for Chelsea in a career that spanned just 10 years.

Alongside Ron Harris, he was part of the side that lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the 1967 FA Cup final. He made his Chelsea debut aged just 17, marking it with a goal.

Tambling holds the record for most goals scored for Chelsea in a single league game with the five goals he scored in the 6-2 win over Aston Villa in September 1966. He remains the Blues' record goal scorer in league football with 164 goals.

The emergence of younger strikers Peter Osgood and Ian Hutchinson saw Tambling lose his place at Stamford Bridge, and he eventually transferred to Crystal Palace in 1970.

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