{"id":141755,"date":"2025-05-29T15:48:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T15:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/141755\/"},"modified":"2025-05-29T15:48:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T15:48:14","slug":"gianfranco-zola-tells-exceptional-cole-palmer-theres-still-one-thing-he-needs-to-learn-at-chelsea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/141755\/","title":{"rendered":"Gianfranco Zola tells ‘exceptional’ Cole Palmer there\u2019s still one thing he \u2018needs to learn\u2019 at Chelsea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cole Palmer helped inspire Chelsea to lift the Conference League trophy in their final match of the 2024\/25 season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chelsea<\/a> completed the set of European trophies on Wednesday night by beating Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League<\/a> final, which wraps up a really positive campaign.<\/p>\n

The Blues are back in next year\u2019s Champions League after finishing fourth in the Premier League. On top of that, Enzo Maresca secured his first piece of silverware as the club\u2019s head coach with the Conference League success.<\/p>\n

Cole Palmer<\/a>, 23, certainly left his mark on the cup final with two magical assists in the comeback victory over Betis. He delivered an individual masterclass in the second half to galvanise his struggling side, which earned him the Player of the Match award.<\/p>\n

Polish media hailed Palmer as \u2018sensational\u2019 <\/a>after the attacking midfielder\u2019s performance for Chelsea against Betis in Wroclaw, Poland.<\/p>\n

\"PhotoPhoto by Giuseppe Maffia\/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesGianfranco Zola claims Cole Palmer needs to learn extra attention from opposition<\/p>\n

Gianfranco Zola<\/a>, the Chelsea legend<\/a>, showered current star Palmer with massive praise after his key contribution against Betis.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, he explained that the Chelsea talisman will need to learn how to deal with opponents being extra cautious of his threat.<\/p>\n

When discussing Blues star Palmer after the Conference League final, Zola told talkSPORT: \u201cHe was exceptional. The first pass for the first goal, I think it was incredible\u2026 I was very pleased for him also because it\u2019s been tough\u2026 He\u2019s becoming more and more known by the opposition, so he needs to learn how to handle this situation. Yesterday in the second half he was exceptional, so I\u2019m very pleased for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In fairness, Palmer\u2019s dip in form in the second half of the season could be partly down to teams often doubling up on him. If he\u2019s marked by more than one player, it does create extra room for his Chelsea teammates.<\/p>\n

In the Betis final, he couldn\u2019t find too much space to influence the game in the first half. He was a lot smarter with his movement and started to pull the strings in the second half, though.<\/p>\n

\n

Cole Palmer against Real Betis.<\/p>\n

\u2013 2 assists
\u2013 2 chances created
\u2013 2 big chance created
\u2013 9 passes into final third
\u2013 6 touches in opposition box
\u2013 2\/2 crosses attempted
\u2013 2\/2 shots on target
\u2013 5\/8 duel battles won
\u2013 3 ball recoveries
\u2013 1\/1 tackles won<\/p>\n

Isco, hold his beer. #CFC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zjctlSE6H3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) May 28, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

View Tweet<\/p>\n

Back in April, Paul Merson suggested teams are blocking Palmer<\/a> and wising up to his brilliance.<\/p>\n

In his first two seasons at Chelsea, Palmer has barely put a foot wrong. We are pretty certain he will find out a way to cope with extra attention on the pitch because he\u2019s too intelligent as a footballer.<\/p>\n

\"PhotoPhoto by James Gill \u2013 Danehouse\/Getty ImagesJoe Cole hails \u2018genius\u2019 Cole Palmer<\/p>\n

Joe Cole,<\/a> another former Chelsea star, loved what he saw from Palmer in the Conference League final, describing the attacking midfielder as a \u201cgenius\u201d.<\/p>\n

Cole told TNT Sports:<\/a> \u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to watch this kid play football. I\u2019m not just saying Chelsea fans, I\u2019m saying England fans. If Lionel Messi performed something like this on a stage like this, the world stops. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a player with quality that can do things like that, and there should be teams built around him. Chelsea and England in my opinion. He\u2019s an absolute genius.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s in the mood, he\u2019s capable of deciding the outcome of any football match.<\/p>\n

Noni Madueke recently described Palmer as \u201cspecial\u201d<\/a> because of his impact on the Chelsea team. Well, he\u2019s just reminded everyone of his potential and quality by signing off for the season with a magical display in the cup.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n