Walter Zenga

Zenga joined Inter Milan in 1982, after starting his professional career in 1978 in the lower divisions of Italian football (his first team was Salernitana in Serie C1, and he also played for Savona and Sambenedettese). Initially, (in the 1982–83 season) he was the substitute of Ivano Bordon, who was one of the top Italian goalkeepers of his era, as he had been Dino Zoff's reserve in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. However, 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. Zenga became Inter's starting goalkeeper in the 1983–84 season, where he conceded only 23 goals, better than any other goalkeeper in that season. The next season would prove to be bittersweet for Zenga: although he continued to play excellently, he did not manage to win any trophies. In Italy, Inter was the main rival of Hellas Verona who won the first and, to this day, only Scudetto of its history in 1985, while in Europe he had to suffer two bitter and quite controversial defeats at the hands of Spanish giants Real Madrid, both times in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. However, personal success was growing: he became a fan favourite due to his qualities and his love for the team, his fame was now nationwide thanks to his larger than life personality and he quickly established himself as one of the premier goalkeepers of the country, which led to him being called up to Italy's squad for the 1986 World Cup. Zenga was at his best between the posts, as his great explosiveness and sharp reflexes enabled him to make great and spectacular saves. Not known for being a great penalty saver (frequently dropping down to the ground in the middle of the goal), in his career he did however save penalty kicks from Roberto Baggio, Michel Platini and Paul Merson. and then to Padova two years later. New England Revolution On March 4, 1997, Major League Soccer allocated Zenga to the New England Revolution. He made his Revolution debut in the 1997 season opener on March 29, a 1–0 victory over the Dallas Burn. He made his home debut on April 20, in a 2–1 victory over the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Scott Coufal and Jeff Causey would fill in for Zenga until his return to net on September 12. The Revolution supporter's group the Midnight Riders named Zenga their 1997 "Man of the Year." Despite his retirement, Zenga would continue his affiliation with the club as a part-time European scout. however he would return on August 24, 1998, being named Revolution head coach after the resignation of Thomas Rongen on the same day. Zenga stipulated that he would only return to the Revolution for the 1999 season if he could play as well as coach, and he became the Revolution's (and league's) first-ever player/coach on October 28, 1998. ==International career==

Zenga was capped 58 times for the Italy national football team at senior level between 1987 and 1992. In these, he conceded only 21 goals (0.36 per game) and kept 41 clean sheets (70.69%), both averages being a record for the Italy national team. He previously featured in the Italian squad at the 1984 Olympics, where the team managed a fourth-place finish, and also 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. He was also included in Enzo Bearzot's 22-man Italy squad for the 1986 World Cup. Initially selected as the team's third goalkeeper behind Fiorentina's Giovanni Galli and Roma's Franco Tancredi, his name was taken in consideration by Bearzot before the match against the Michel Platini-led France due to the poor performances of Galli (who, in the end, also played against France). During the 1988 UEFA European Championships, Zenga played all four of Italy's matches (a 1–1 draw against West Germany, a 1–0 victory over Spain, and a 2–0 win over Denmark in the group stage matches, and a 0–2 loss against the Soviet Union in the semi-final). Here again Zenga was at the centre of controversy: in the first match against West Germany he conceded a free kick inside the penalty area due to having made too many steps while carrying the ball in his hands (an infringement rarely penalised). Andreas Brehme, who would become Zenga's teammate at Inter only a few months later, scored from the resulting free kick to tie the game for West Germany. Italy reached the semi-finals of the competition. His unbeaten streak was ended by Claudio Caniggia's header in the semi-finals against defending champions Argentina, after Zenga had made an error when coming out to collect a cross; following a 1–1 draw after extra-time, Argentina advanced to the final 4–3 on penalties, while Zenga failed to stop a single spot kick in the shoot-out. After Italy had failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championship, Arrigo Sacchi was appointed as Italy's new manager, and he eventually excluded Zenga from his side, in favour of goalkeepers who were more suited to his zonal marking defensive system, such as Gianluca Pagliuca, and Luca Marchegiani. ==Style of play==

An aggressive, consistent, physically strong, complete, and athletic goalkeeper, Zenga was nicknamed Deltaplano ("Hang glider") he was also criticised by pundits for his unsteady performances when coming out off his line to claim crosses, and performed best between the posts, while he was also not particularly adept with the ball at his feet, and initially struggled in teams which employed a zonal marking defensive system and the offside trap, due to his reluctancy to rush out of goal. Nevertheless, he was able to adapt successfully to the changes in regulations following the introduction of the back-pass rule, and maintained a high level of performance as his career progressed, even as goalkeepers were required to play more frequently with their feet. In addition to his goalkeeping ability, Zenga also stood out for his strong mentality and leadership from the back, as well as his temper and flamboyant celebrations as a footballer, and was also known for his composure under pressure, which enabled him not to be fazed if he ever made any errors. His other nickname, ''L'Uomo Ragno'' ("Spider-Man"), which led pundits and supporters to call him like the Marvel Comics character. ==Managerial career==

Early career 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. His tenure as Player-Manager would last less than one full campaign, as he was replaced with two matches left left to play, following the Revolution's 1–0 loss to the Dallas Burn, on September 30, 1999. He then accepted a job as a football commentator and pundit for Italian public broadcasting service RAI. Catania On 1 April 2008, he agreed to replace resigning boss Silvio Baldini as manager of Catania. He made his Serie A debut on 6 April with a 3–0 home win against Napoli, leading them to a dramatic relegation escape during the final minutes of the league, after a 1–1 home draw against Roma. Confirmed at the helm of Catania for the 2008–09 season, Zenga proved to be fit for the Italian top flight, leading the rossoazzurri to impressive results in the early part of the season, and agreeing a one-year contract extension with the Sicilian club. Catania's playing style under 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. He 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. Palermo On 5 June 2009, after being linked with the managerial job at Lazio it was revealed that 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. He debuted with a 4–2 Coppa Italia win over SPAL 1907, and a 2–1 home win against Napoli in the first week of the Serie A season. However, a number of disappointing results followed, ending in an unimpressive 1–1 home tie to Catania that led Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini to remove Zenga from his managerial duties on 23 November, after only thirteen league games in charge of the rosanero. Middle East On 11 May 2010, he was announced new head coach of Saudi Professional League club Al-Nassr. He was removed from his position on 24 December after a string of poor results led Al-Nassr to be overtaken at the top of the league table. On 6 January 2011, Zenga was appointed new head coach of Al Nasr in the UAE Pro-League. Return to Italy On 4 June 2015, Zenga returned to Italy, and was appointed head coach at Serie A side Sampdoria for the 2015–16 season. However, after he was sacked in November, and replaced by Vincenzo Montella as head coach, he later returned to the Middle East to manage bottom placed club Al-Shaab, however he was unable to turn around the club's fortunes and left the club on 20 February 2016 by mutual consent. Wolverhampton Wanderers On 30 July 2016, Zenga was appointed head coach of Football League Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers for the 2016–17 season. Despite having never managed in England, he cited his vast foreign experience as enough to succeed. On 2 August, he made his first signings, buying Icelandic striker Jón Daði Böðvarsson from Kaiserslautern and bringing in Portuguese midfielder João Teixeira on a season-long loan from Benfica. In his first game on 6 August, Zenga's team drew 2–2 away to Rotherham United, coming back from a 2–0 deficit with ten players; he described his first game as an "amazing experience". Zenga took Wolves on a six-game unbeaten run in all competitions, and eight points from his first four league games, including a 3–1 win at local rivals Birmingham City. He praised the Wolves players' spirit and credited them with leading them to the unbeaten start. Following the end of the summer transfer window, Zenga, having made ten new signings since his appointment, claimed that the Wolves squad was so strong that he could field two different teams if needed. Following a 4–0 loss to Barnsley, Wolves beat promotion favourites Newcastle United, to end their five-game winning run. Zenga claimed his team's subsequent performances showed that the defeat to Barnsley was "an accident". Wolves then went on a five-game winless run, losing four, that would lead to his dismissal. Despite the insistence of Dave Edwards that Zenga retained the support of the Wolves players, he was dismissed on 25 October following only 4 wins out of the club's first 14 Championship fixtures and Wolves 18th in the table. On 7 April 2017, Wolves director Jeff Shi said: "I liked Walter. He was passionate, a really lovely guy... Later we found out it was not a good match. We had to change very quickly... The only big mistake in my mind was the coach appointment at the beginning of the season." Return to Italy On 8 December 2017, Zenga was appointed Crotone manager. The team was relegated to Serie B at the end of the year. 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. He was sacked on 5 March 2019, after a run of four losses in five games had the club fighting relegation. On 3 March 2020, 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. His debut for the Sardinian club was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent nationwide lockdown. He won three and drew four of his 13 games in charge as the team finished 14th, and was replaced by Eusebio Di Francesco in August. On 27 September 2024, Italian Serie D club Siracusa announced the hiring of Zenga as a "club manager" and "brand ambassador", in a non-coaching role within the club. ==Style of management==

As a manager, Zenga usually uses a four–man back-line with his teams, while he has used several different tactical systems and formations in midfield and attack throughout his career. ==Personal life==

Zenga has been married three times; he has five children. Marriages and relationships In 1982, young professional goalkeeper Zenga—playing on loan in San Benedetto del Tronto with Serie B side U.S. Sambenedettese—married the local model and 1980 Miss Marche Elvira Carfagna, having first met her at Palazzina Azzurra on the town's waterfront. As Zenga re-joined Inter, the couple moved to Milan. During his marriage to Carfagna, Zenga had an extramarital affair with television presenter Marina Perzy throughout 1985. Already subject of media rumours, the ongoing affair generated public interest that culminated in February 1985 during an international break when Inter goalkeeper Zenga could not be reached to accept a national team call-up for a friendly match as part of Italy's FIFA World Cup preparation. After Italian Football Federation officials' failure to get a hold of the young goalkeeper through his wife who didn't know where he was, it was discovered that Zenga was on a romantic weekend getaway with his mistress Perzy. The event reportedly even prompted Inter president and owner Ernesto Pellegrini to privately intervene with both Zenga and Perzy. The relationship led to Zenga leaving his family and moving in with Termali in January 1988. Two years into Zenga's relationship with Termali, the couple's first child, son Nicolò, was born out-of-wedlock in December 1989. Zenga and Termali wed in September 1992 in a notable ceremony at the Via Palestra municipal gardens in Milan with Zenga's Inter teammate Davide Fontolan as the groom's best man and a prominent guest list that included Milan mayor Giampiero Borghini, Inter head coach Osvaldo Bagnoli, Inter vice-chairman Peppino Prisco, Italy national team manager Azeglio Vicini as well as footballers such as Gianluca Vialli and Ruud Gullit. Their second child, son Andrea, was born in September 1993. The couple divorced in 1997. After divorcing Termali, now veteran professional footballer Zenga entered a relationship with television presenter , sixteen years his junior. With Zenga winding down his playing career in the United States, the couple lived in the country as he began transitioning into football coaching. Still unsure as to which line of work he ultimately wanted to pursue after playing professional football, Zenga also took media jobs in Italy, often with his new partner. The couple ended up spending six years together during which they notably co-hosted home shopping programs on privately owned television channels in Italy, selling appliances and consumer goods such as vacuum cleaners and electro-stimulators. In May 2005 while coaching in Bucharest, Zenga married 23-year-old Romanian woman Raluca Rebedea, 22 years his junior. Three years later, in June 2008, the couple organized another wedding ceremony while on vacation in Las Vegas; held in a Vegas chapel, Zenga posted the wedding footage on his YouTube channel. On 19 November 2009, Rebedea gave birth to their daughter Samira Valentina. Though the family resided in Dubai, in April 2010, Zenga stated his willingness to take Romanian citizenship, which he reportedly obtained in April 2012. The couple's second child, son Walter Jr., was born in 2012. In October 2020, Zenga made the dissolution of his and Rebedea's 14-year marriage public via a lengthy Instagram post, revealing that the two "hadn't been a couple for some time" and identifying the reasons for the split in "both the distance, created because of [Zenga's] work as a [football] coach, as well as due to [Rebedea's] radical change", adding he had already filed for divorce at the Dubai Court of Appeal before concluding that "the freedom I've always given her has somehow turned against us [as a couple]". Zenga's particular statement about "the freedom he had given to his wife" triggered a reaction by Italian journalist who criticized the former goalkeeper for "considering his wife's freedom a concession". ==Career statistics==

Club International ==Managerial statistics==

Player Inter Milan • Serie A: 1988–89 • Supercoppa Italiana: 1989 • UEFA Cup: 1990–91, 1993–94 Sampdoria • Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 1994 Italy U21 • UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 1986 Italy • FIFA World Cup third place: 1990 • UEFA European Championship third place: 1988 • Scania 100 Tournament: 1991 Individual • Guerin d'Oro: 1987 • IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 1989, 1990, 1991 • UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year: 1990 • Pirata d'Oro (Internazionale Player of the Year): 1987 • MLS Player of the Month: 1997 • Midnight Riders Man of the Year Award: 1997 1999 • Inter Milan Hall of Fame: 2018 Coach Național București • Cupa României runner-up: 2002–03 Steaua București • Divizia A: 2004–05 Red Star Belgrade • Serbia and Montenegro SuperLiga: 2005–06 • Serbia and Montenegro Cup: 2005–06 Al Ain • UAE President's Cup runner-up: 2006–07 Al Jazira • UAE League Cup runner-up: 2013–14 Orders :* 5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991 ==Notes==