35 Facts About Walter Zenga

Walter Zenga was a long-time goalkeeper for Inter Milan and the Italy national team.

Walter Zenga joined Inter Milan in 1982, after starting his professional career in 1978 in the lower divisions of Italian football.

However, Walter Zenga played Inter's matches in the Coppa Italia, impressing enough that the club decided not to buy another goalkeeper after Bordon's decision to move to Sampdoria during the summer of 1983.

However, Walter Zenga imposed himself as the best goalkeeper in Italy, finishing the 30 matches-long season conceding only 17 goals and by being picked by new Italy's manager Azeglio Vicini as the starter in the goalkeeping position.

However, the move did not materialize and Walter Zenga remained with Inter.

The highlight of the season for Walter Zenga was the participation in the 1988 UEFA European Championships with Italy.

Walter Zenga ended the season conceding only 19 goals, the best goalkeeper again in that respect.

Walter Zenga was at his best between the posts, as his great explosiveness and sharp reflexes enabled him to make great and spectacular saves.

Walter Zenga continued to play for Inter until 1994, winning the UEFA Cup in 1991 and 1994, his last season with the club.

In 1994, Walter Zenga transferred to Sampdoria, and then to Padova two years later.

Walter Zenga additionally represented the Revolution in the 1997 MLS All-Star Game, and won the team's Most Valuable Player Award.

Walter Zenga had led the Revolution to their first playoff berth in team history, and he finished the 1997 season with the second best goals-against average, second highest win total, and best league shootout record, allowing only 12 goals in 41 attempts.

Walter Zenga departed the Revolution to pursue an acting career, however he would return on August 24,1998, being named Revolution head coach after the resignation of Thomas Rongen on the same day.

Walter Zenga was capped 58 times for the Italy national football team at senior level between 1987 and 1992.

Walter Zenga previously featured in the Italian squad at the 1984 Olympics, where the team managed a fourth-place finish, and featured as one of the Italy under-21 side's overage players at the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, as the team's starting goalkeeper.

Walter Zenga was included in Enzo Bearzot's 22-man Italy squad for the 1986 World Cup.

Walter Zenga became the Italy national side's starting goalkeeper under manager Azeglio Vicini, ahead of his perceived career rival, Stefano Tacconi.

Walter Zenga remained first choice goalkeeper when Italy hosted the World Cup in 1990, and helped 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.

An aggressive, consistent, physically strong, complete, and athletic goalkeeper, Walter Zenga was nicknamed Deltaplano due to his excellent shot-stopping abilities, positioning, explosive reactions, bravery, and in particular for his speed, elegance, and agility, which enabled him to produce spectacular saves.

Walter Zenga became the head coach of the New England Revolution on August 24,1998, replacing Thomas Rongen for the final six matches of the 1998 season.

On October 28, Walter Zenga was announced as Player-Manager of New England Revolution heading into the 1999 season.

Walter Zenga then accepted a job as a football commentator and pundit for Italian public broadcasting service RAI.

Catania's playing style under Walter Zenga was notable for the coach's focus on free kick planning; his assistant manager Gianni Vio is known to work exclusively on this particular side of football tactics during the weekly training sessions.

Walter Zenga guided Catania to a mid-table finish and the Serie A points record for the eastern Sicilian side; at the final home game of the season he announced he was parting company with his club by mutual consent.

On 5 June 2009, after being linked with the managerial job at Lazio it was revealed that Walter Zenga had agreed a three-year contract with Palermo to replace outgoing manager Davide Ballardini; the move was seen as a massive surprise due to the Rosanero club being rumoured to be interested in several other managers and the bitter rivalry between them and Catania, the only two Sicilian teams playing in the Italian top flight.

On 6 January 2011, Walter Zenga was appointed as new head coach of Al Nasr in the UAE Pro-League.

Walter Zenga praised the Wolves players' spirit and credited them with leading them to the unbeaten start.

Walter Zenga claimed his team's subsequent performances showed that the defeat to Barnsley was "an accident".

Walter Zenga returned into management on 11 October 2018 as he was named new head coach of Serie B club Venezia in place of Stefano Vecchi.

Walter Zenga was sacked on 5 March 2019, after a run of four losses in five games had the club fighting relegation.

On 3 March 2020, Walter Zenga was appointed new head coach of Serie A club Cagliari, signing a contract until 30 June 2021, with Under-19 coach Max Canzi named as his assistant.

Walter Zenga's first child, son Jacopo, was born from the marriage with Italian model and 1980 Miss Marche Elvira Carfagna.

Jacopo Walter Zenga would go on to become a footballer himself, playing in Serie D after spending time with Inter and Genoa at youth level.

From his second marriage, to TV personality Roberta Termali, Walter Zenga has two more sons, Nicolo and Andrea.

In 2005 while coaching in Bucharest, Walter Zenga married 23-year-old Romanian woman Raluca Rebedea.