Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Oldies but goldies: Walter Zenga, Uomo Ragno. Spider-Man-ul lui Inter

Walter Zenga este un fotbalist italian retras din activitate, care a jucat mult timp ca portar la Inter Milano și în echipa națională a Italiei.

Walter Zenga este un fotbalist italian retras din activitate, care a jucat mult timp ca portar la Inter Milano și în echipa națională a Italiei. A fost de asemenea membru al naționalei italiene care a terminat pe locul 4 la Olimpiada din 1984 (Los Angeles, California) și al reprezentativei care a terminat pe locul 3 Cupa Mondială din 1990, Zenga fiind titular în toate partidele.

Walter Zenga is a retired Italian footballer and current manager. He is a long-time goalkeeper for the Italian national team and Internazionale, who currently serves as head coach of UAE League team Al-Nasr.


During his playing career, Zenga was part of the Italian squad that finished fourth at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA and the World Cup squad that finished third in the 1990 World Cup tournament held in Italy, in which Zenga started every game for the Azzurri.


Came back to Internazionale 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 a scudetto in the 1988–89 season and the UEFA Cup in 1991 and 1994, 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 Euro 1988. 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. The record was somewhat fortunate, as Czechoslovakia scored against Italy in a first round match, only for the referee to incorrectly disallow it for offside. 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-manager, but only lasted a year in both those positions.

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

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