Walter Zenga

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Walter Zenga
Personal information
Date of birth	April 28, 1960 (1960-04-28) (age 48)
Place of birth	Milano, Italy
Playing position	Head coach (former goalkeeper)
Club information
Current club	Catania
Youth clubs
1977–1978	Inter Milan
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1978–1979 1979–1980 1980–1982 1982–1994 1994–1996 1996–1997 1997 1999	Salernitana Savona Sambenedettese Inter Milan Sampdoria Padova New England Revolution New England Revolution	003 (0) 023 (0) 067 (0) 328 (0) 041 (0) 021 (0) 022 (0) 025 (0)
National team
1985–1992	Italy	058 (0)
Teams managed
1999 2000–2001 2002–2004 2004–2005 2005–2006 2006 2007 2007 2008–	New England Revolution Brera National Bucharest Steaua Bucharest Red Star Belgrade Gaziantepspor Al Ain FC Dinamo Bucharest Catania
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Walter Zenga (born April 28, 1960 in Milan) is an Italian football (soccer) manager and former player, a long-time goalkeeper for the Italian national team and Inter Milan. He was also a member of the Italian squad that finished fourth at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California and the World Cup squad that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament held in Italy, in which Zenga started every game for the Azzurri. He is the current head coach of Serie A team Catania.

[edit] Career

[edit] Player

Zenga came back to Inter Milan in 1982, after starting his professional career in 1978 in the lower divisions of Italian soccer (his first team was Salernitana in Serie C1, and he also played for Savona and Sambenedettese). Zenga became Inter's starter in his second year with the team, and continued in that position for 11 seasons, until 1994, winning the UEFA Cup in his last season with the club. After being one of the backup Goalkeepers, (third choice) at the 1986 World Cup, Zenga became the starter when during the 1988 European Championship in West Germany. Zenga was still first choice Goalkeeper when Italy hosted the tournament in 1990, and led the team to a third-place finish during which he set a record of five consecutive clean sheets, and a total of 518 minutes without conceding a goal, a record still standing. He finished his international career with 58 caps for his country.

In 1994, Zenga transferred to Sampdoria, and then to Padova two years later. He then moved on to New England Revolution and Major League Soccer. Zenga played in goal for them in the league's second season in 1997, then left to pursue an acting career (he and his girlfriend starred in an Italian soap opera). During a game versus the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1997, he celebrated a goal by running to the sidelines and making out with his girlfriend, as the Mutiny barely missed the open net straight from the kickoff. Zenga came back to the Revs in 1999, as a player-coach, but only lasted a year in both those positions.

[edit] Coach

After he left New England Revolution, Zenga retired from active football, choosing to pursue a coaching career. After a short stint with Milan amateurs Brera Calcio, Zenga moved to Romania in 2002, first managing Naţional Bucharest and then Steaua Bucharest. In the summer of 2005, after being fired from Steaua before the end of the season, Zenga joined Red Star Belgrade, leading the Serbian team to a double (national league and national cup in Serbia & Montenegro). In the 2006 summer, Zenga was called to coach Turkish side Gaziantepspor; however, after a poor beginning (5 wins in 17 league matches), he resigned in January 2007 in order to accept an offer from United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain FC. After just 5 months in charge Al-Ain sacked Zenga, who was announced in September 2007 as new Dinamo Bucharest coach, replacing Mircea Rednic, but resigning only two months later following a 1–0 loss in a local derby lost to Steaua.^[1] He worked as a football commentator and pundit for Italian public broadcasting service RAI until April 1, 2008 when he replaced Silvio Baldini as manager of Catania.^[2][3] He made his Serie A debut on April 6 with a crush 3–0 home win to Napoli,^[4] leading them to a dramatic relegation escape during the final minutes of the league, after a 1–1 home draw against AS Roma.

During his playing career, Zenga was nicknamed Uomo Ragno (Spider-Man) due to his goalkeeping skills, especially his agility.

Soon, Zenga declared in an interview that he would like to manage brazilian side Palmeiras.^[5]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• www.walterzenga.it

v • d • e Italy squad - 1986 FIFA World Cup 1 Galli • 2 Bergomi • 3 Cabrini • 4 Collovati • 5 Nela • 6 Scirea • 7 Tricella • 8 Vierchowod • 9 Ancelotti • 10 Bagni • 11 Baresi • 12 Tancredi • 13 De Napoli • 14 Di Gennaro • 15 Tardelli • 16 Conti • 17 Vialli • 18 Altobelli • 19 Galderisi • 20 Rossi • 21 Serena • 22 Zenga • Coach: Bearzot

v • d • e Italy squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup Third Place 1 Zenga • 2 Baresi • 3 Bergomi • 4 De Agostini • 5 Ferrara • 6 Ferri • 7 Maldini • 8 Vierchowod • 9 Ancelotti • 10 Berti • 11 De Napoli • 12 Tacconi • 13 Giannini • 14 Marocchi • 15 Baggio • 16 Carnevale • 17 Donadoni • 18 Mancini • 19 Schillaci • 20 Serena • 21 Vialli • 22 Pagliuca • Coach: Vicini

Awards
Preceded by Rinat Dasayev	IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper 1989 – 1991	Succeeded by Peter Schmeichel
Preceded by Incumbent	UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year 1990	Succeeded by Bodo Illgner