Ryder Cup 2025: What role does football legend Gianfranco Zola play in Team Europe?.

According to The Sun: The Ryder Cup has started in New York, where Team Europe is aiming for victory on American soil for the first time since 2012.

The team, led by Luke Donald, are the defending champions, following an impressive 16.5-11.5 victory over the Americans two years ago.

The captain of Team Europe has changed only one player: Rasmus Hojgaard has replaced his twin brother Nikolai.

Interestingly, the legendary footballer Gianfranco Zola has appeared on the non-playing team for the 45th tournament.

What is Gianfranco Zola's role in the Ryder Cup?

Zola will be the buggy driver for Team Europe’s vice-captain Francesco Molinari.

They became good friends when Molinari moved to London in 2009 while Zola was working as a coach at West Ham.

The legendary footballer has a low handicap and regularly plays in pro-am events at the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth.

Molinari has previously spoken about their friendship ahead of Europe's victory at the Ryder Cup 2018: “He loves golf. He started playing here in England when he was playing for Chelsea. Now he has a lot of free time and plays a lot more.”

“We discussed playing in the Ryder Cup and compared it to the World Cup for footballers. We talked about the pressure you feel and how to try to use it to your advantage.”

Zola’s role in Team Europe goes beyond just driving Molinari around the Bethpage Black course.

Zola has a wealth of experience playing under pressure and on bigger stages during his successful career.

He has already shared advice on how to handle the hostile atmosphere from American fans, which football players face more often than golfers.

“Firstly, you have to learn how to get into a certain protective shell. That’s one of the first things you need to learn to play football, as the environment can be really hostile. You have to use that to your advantage and draw motivation from it.”

The Ryder Cup is not just a sporting competition between Team Europe and the USA; it’s also a great opportunity for sharing experiences and emotions within the game. Zola’s presence emphasizes how important psychological support and experience are in such crucial moments, as well as the mood that can influence the course of the tournament.

Thus, the Ryder Cup promises to be not only a true battle between golfers but also an emotional test for all participants. This event will be talked about long after the games are over.