Gianfranco Zola’s goal in Stockholm 22 years ago today remains one of the most iconic in Chelsea history, and you can hear from the Italian and many other key players on that Cup Winners’ Cup triumph in a special podcast.
The Cup Kings of ’98, first aired in 2018, celebrates a year full of silverware; the Blues picked up three trophies in under six months shortly after Gianluca Vialli replaced Ruud Gullit as player-manager. The middle of those, the European success in Sweden against Stuttgart, remains the most iconic. The podcast available to listen to below, via iTunes Podcasts, Soundcloud and numerous other podcast-hosting apps. Simply search for The Cup Kings of '98.
It hears exclusively from six integral members of that side: captain Dennis Wise, Stockholm saviour Zola, Frank Sinclair, Eddie Newton, Tore Andre Flo and Graeme Le Saux. They tell the story of a dramatic period to be at Stamford Bridge, from Gullit’s shock departure to the appointment of one of their team-mates, and the glut of trophies that soon followed.
Click to buy a retro 1998 Cup Winners' Cup final shirt!
Zola talks of his fury-filled celebration after his goal having only started on the bench in the final, and there are plenty of other tales about a year that is still up there with the most successful ever for the Blues.
You can also listen to Blue Days, a five-part podcast series chronicling the extraordinary 1996/97 season...