{"id":37190,"date":"2022-04-20T19:21:51","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T18:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/?p=37190"},"modified":"2024-06-01T17:43:31","modified_gmt":"2024-06-01T16:43:31","slug":"5-greatest-chelsea-players-of-the-premier-league-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/football\/5-greatest-chelsea-players-of-the-premier-league-era\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Greatest Chelsea Players of the Premier League Era"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chelsea have emerged as one of the world’s biggest clubs over the last 30 years, and it is fair to say they have boasted some of the game’s best players during that period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having won five league titles, two Champions Leagues, seven FA Cups, four EFL Cups, two Europa Leagues, two Club World Cups and the Cup Winners’ Cup since the dawn of the Premier League in 1992, there is no doubting Chelsea’s credentials among football’s elite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have taken a look at the five greatest players to have represented Chelsea over the last three decades, which has undoubtedly been the most successful period in the club’s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Cesar Azpilicueta<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta was a relatively low-key signing when he joined Chelsea for a reported \u00a37million from Marseille during the summer of 2012. Still, he has since gone on to become one of the most decorated players in the club’s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his decade at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta has won nine major trophies, and he became the first and so far only player to lift every major honour available to the club earlier this year when he captained them to glory at the Club World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 32-year-old is seventh on the list of Chelsea’s all-time appearance makers, and he has plenty of time to add to his tally, as he recently penned a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y_GsRiJepvQ\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. Gianfranco Zola<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There were signs that Chelsea were becoming a prominent force at the top of the English and European game long before Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star names such as Marcel Desailly, Frank Leboeuf and Gianluca Vialli had already donned the famous blue strip prior to the Russian’s arrival, but perhaps the pick of the pre-Abramovich era players was Gianfranco Zola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Italian forward arrived at Stamford Bridge from Parma in 1996, but by the time he left the club seven years later, he had not only scored 80 goals in 311 appearances but he was also regarded as a club legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zola won six major honours during his time at Stamford Bridge, while he was also named Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 1997 – the first and so far only Italian to pick up that accolade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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