Distel Zola
Personal information
Full name Distel Zola
Date of birth (1989-02-05) 5 February 1989
Place of birth 12th arrondissement of Paris, France
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1994–2002 Champigny-sur-Marne
2002–2004 US Alfortville
2004–2009 Monaco
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Monaco 0 (0)
2010–2011 → Laval (loan) 27 (1)
2011–2012 Nancy 1 (0)
2012 → Le Havre (loan) 15 (1)
2012–2014 Le Havre 65 (1)
2014–2015 Châteauroux 20 (0)
2015–2017 Samsunspor 17 (0)
2018–2019 Tours FC 26 (0)
2020– El Paso Locomotive 10 (0)
2021 → Charlotte Independence (loan) 8 (0)
International career‡
2004–2005 France U16 12 (0)
2005–2006 France U17 10 (0)
2006–2007 France U18 6 (0)
2007–2008 France U19 4 (0)
2010– Congo DR 21 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 May 2016
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 November 2021

Distel Zola (born 5 February 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder.

He is a former French youth international having earned caps at all levels of youth. In 2010, Zola switched international allegiance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to his ancestry.[1] He made his debut in May 2010 in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia.

Early life

Zola was born in 1989 in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, of Zairean parents born in the Belgian Congo. He acquired French nationality on 24 June 2002, through the collective effect of his mother's naturalization.[2]

Career

Early career

Zola began his football career at the age of five at a local football academy in his hometown of Champigny-sur-Marne, a local southeastern Parisian suburb.[3] After spending eight years at the club, he moved to US Alfortville.[3] After a two-year stint in Alfortville, Zola drew interest from professional clubs Paris Saint-Germain, Auxerre, and Monaco. Zola ultimately signed with Monaco describing the club as the "most convincing" of the three.[3]

Monaco

Zola spent one season in Monaco's youth academy, and, in the 2005–06 season, appeared in two matches on the club's Championnat de France amateur team in the fourth division.[4] The following season, he was promoted to the amateur team full-time making 15 appearances.[5] Zola spent two more seasons playing on the amateur team and, prior to the start of the 2008–09 season, turned professional and was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team and assigned the number 29 shirt by manager Ricardo Gomes.[6]

Zola appeared on the bench for the club's first five league matches and continued to play on the club's amateur team in the fifth division. On 25 September 2008, while playing with the amateur team, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which required five months of rehabilitation. He returned to play in February 2009, but did not make any senior team appearances.[7] Zola later suffered an injury setback to his knee and endured significant rehabilitation for much of the 2009–10 season. On 10 August 2010, a healthy Zola was loaned out to Ligue 2 club Stade Lavallois for the entire 2010–11 season in order for the player to get some first-team playing time.[8][9] On 13 August, Zola made his professional debut in a league match against Metz. He appeared as a substitute in a 1–0 victory.[10]

Nancy

In July 2011, Nancy confirmed that it had signed Zola to a three-year contract.[11] Zola ended his career at Monaco without making a senior team appearance for the club.

Le Havre and Châteauroux

After a single game for Nancy in six months, Zola was loaned to Le Havre AC, a stay that was made permanent in the summer of 2012.[12] In August 2014, Zola joined Châteauroux on a three-year contract.[13]

Samsunspor

On 15 July 2015, Zola joined Süper Lig side Samsunspor.

El Paso Locomotive

On 12 December 2019, after spending the 2018–2019 season with French third tier side Tours FC, Zola joined USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive ahead of the 2020 season.[14]

Charlotte Independence (loan)

On 27 April 2021, Zola joined Charlotte Independence on loan for the 2021 season.[15]

International career

After playing for the French youth teams, Zola chose to play for the DR Congo in 2010.

References

  1. ↑ "Distel Zola avec la RD Congo". AS Monaco FC (in French). 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "JORF n° 0146 du 25 juin 2002 - Légifrance" (PDF). legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). p. 11012. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Distel Zola se confie en exclusivité sur Planete-ASM" (in French). Planete ASM. 16 October 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "AS MONACO RESERVE PRO 2005/2006" (in French). Stat 2 Foot. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "AS MONACO RESERVE PRO 2006/2007" (in French). Stat 2 Foot. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Les numéros officiels pour 2008-2009 !". AS Monaco FC (in French). 5 August 2008. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  7. ↑ "Distel Zola: "Pas de barrière"". AS Monaco FC (in French). 25 February 2010. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  8. ↑ "Monaco: D.Zola prêté à Laval". Mercato 365 (in French). 10 August 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  9. ↑ "Distel Zola, "Laval, le choix adéquat"". Laval Maville (in French). 10 August 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  10. ↑ "Laval v. Metz Match Report". Ligue de Football Professionnel (in French). 13 August 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  11. ↑ "Distel Zola va signer". AS Nancy (in French). 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  12. ↑ "Zola reste au Havre" (in French). Eurosport. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  13. ↑ "Hountondji et Zola s'engagent" (in French). berrichonne.net. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC SIGNS FORMER LIGUE 1 DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER DISTEL ZOLA". El Paso Locomotive FC. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE SIGNS MIDFIELDER DISTEL ZOLA ON LOAN". Charlotte Independence. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
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