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Walter ZengaItalian footballer and coach
Date of Birth: 28.04.1960
Country:  Italy |
Content:
Biography of Walter Zenga
Early Life and CareerWalter Zenga was born on April 28, 1960, in Milan, Italy, to parents Alfonso and Maria. He began playing football in the youth team of "Maccallese" and joined "Inter" at the age of 10, invited by coach Galbiati. Zenga trained hard, developing his resilience and determination, and occasionally played in matches for the senior team, watching his idol Ivano Bordon. However, Zenga made his debut not for "Inter," but for the Serie C1 club "Salernitana" in 1978, where he spent only 3 games. He then played for the Serie C2 club "Savona" and the Serie C1 club "San Benedetese," helping them promote to Serie B. In 1982, Zenga returned to "Inter" thanks to director Mazzola and club president Fraizzoli. He made his debut in the team, playing 5 matches in the Coppa Italia, and on September 11, 1983, he played his first Serie A match against "Sampdoria." Zenga became the starting goalkeeper for "Inter" and played for the team for 12 years, winning the Italian Super Cup and UEFA Cup in 1990 and 1994, as well as the Italian Championship in 1989. In 1994, Zenga left "Inter" after losing the battle for the goalkeeper position to the young Gianluca Pagliuca.
International Career
While playing for "Inter," Zenga also represented the Italian national team, making his debut on October 8, 1986, in a friendly match against Greece. Before that, he played for the youth national team and was part of the team at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where he played one game against Costa Rica. Interestingly, Zenga went to his first World Cup in 1986 as the third goalkeeper, not playing a single match for the national team. However, in the following tournaments, the 1988 European Championship and the 1990 World Cup, Walter was a key player for the national team. At the World Cup, Zenga set the record for the longest goalless streak in World Cup history, not conceding a goal for 518 minutes and 5 matches. His streak lasted a total of 981 minutes from October 14, 1989, to July 3, 1990. Zenga played his last match for the national team on June 4, 1992, against Ireland, keeping a clean sheet. In total, he played 58 matches for the Italian national team.
Later Career
After leaving "Inter," Zenga played for "Sampdoria" and then "Padova" before ending his career in the American MLS club "New England Revolution." During his time at the club, Zenga also appeared in a TV series with his girlfriend and worked as a player-coach. After his time in the US, Zenga returned to Europe, working with semi-professional club "Breza" in Italy and then coaching "National," leading them from the lower division to the 8th place in the Romanian top division and the final of the Romanian Cup. He then joined "Steaua," winning the championship with the club. Zenga also gained attention in Romania for his relationship with 22-year-old tennis player Raluca Sandu, daughter of the president of the Romanian Football Federation, leaving behind his previous girlfriend, model Oara Borselli. In 2005, Zenga joined Serbian club "Crvena Zvezda" and won the national championship and cup with them. In July 2006, he became the head coach of "Gaziantepspor" in Turkey but was dismissed after 17 games. He then joined UAE club "Al-Ain" in January 2007 but was fired after 5 months due to poor results. In September 2007, Zenga returned to Romania, leading the capital club "Dinamo" but was fired in November due to criticism from the fans for the team's defensive tactics and a 0-1 loss to their main rival, "Steaua." After that, Zenga worked as a commentator on RAI TV in Italy. On April 1, 2008, he became the coach of "Catania" and led the team to a 3-0 victory over "Napoli" in his first match. Zenga fulfilled the objective of maintaining the team in Serie A, and his contract was extended. However, before the last match of the 2008/09 season, Zenga announced that he was leaving his position as coach of "Catania." In June 2009, Zenga became the coach of "Palermo," but his tenure lasted less than a year, and he managed the team for only 14 matches. He was fired on November 23, 2009, after a 1-1 draw with his former team, "Catania," and a disappointing start to the season with only 17 points in 13 games. In late December 2009, Zenga was considered a potential coach for the Romanian club "Unirea." On May 11, 2010, Walter became the coach of "Al-Nassr" in Riyadh. However, he was fired from his position on December 24 of the same year. Throughout his career, Zenga played 58 matches for the Italian national team, conceding only 21 goals, with 36 wins, 14 draws, and 8 losses.
