Mazzolini was born in Reims, Marne and joined local junior football club Lunel in 1975, and played there for six years before he was spotted by AJ Auxerre in 1981, at the age of fourteen.
In a total of six seasons with the club, he went on to play 128 times in the league, 17 games in the Coupe de France and 16 UEFA Cup matches.
In his first season with the side, Mazzolini played 20 league matches as Marseille claimed the Division 2 championship.
[2] However, after promotion to Division 1, he made just eight appearances the following season and signed for National 2 outfit AC Ajaccio at the end of the 1995–96 campaign.
[3] He played for the club for four seasons before being appointed as manager of the Championnat de France amateur 2 Group C side in 2002.