Walter Zenga

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

During his playing career, Zenga was part of the Italian squad that finished fourth at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and was the starting goalkeeper for the Italian team that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament held in Italy, keeping a World Cup record unbeaten streak, until broken by Unai Simón in 2026. A three-time winner of the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award, Zenga is regarded by pundits as one of the best goalkeepers of all time, and in 2013 was voted the eighth best goalkeeper of the past quarter-century by IFFHS. In 2000, he also placed 20th in the World Keeper of the Century Elections by the same organisation.

In Their Own Story

The source does not provide any specific story or match moment involving Walter Zenga at Napoli. It mentions that during the 1989–90 and 1990–91 seasons, Inter remained a title contender but did not win the league, and that Zenga experienced the peak of his career in these seasons, being named the best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS for three consecutive years (1989–1991). No Napoli-related anecdotes are present.

Reader's Guide

After retiring as a player, Zenga briefly became an actor in an Italian soap opera and also a pundit on Italian TV. Since 1998 he has worked as a head coach and managed clubs in the United States, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and England.

Did You Know?

• Zenga joined Inter Milan in 1982 after starting his professional career in 1978 in the lower divisions of Italian football, with his first team being Salernitana in Serie C1.
• He became Inter's starting goalkeeper in the 1983–84 season, conceding only 23 goals, better than any other goalkeeper that season.
• Zenga was awarded MLS Player of the Month honors for September 1997, the first Revolution player to ever win the award.
• He saved penalty kicks from Roberto Baggio, Michel Platini and Paul Merson during his career.