Salrenitana (Italy),
Savona (Italy), Sambenedettese (Italy), Inter Milan (Italy),
Sampdoria (Italy), Padova (Italy), New England Revolution (USA -
MLS)
Walter Zenga (born April 28, 1960 in Milan) is an Italian
football (soccer) player, a long-time goalkeeper for the Italian
national team and Inter Milan.
Zenga joined Inter Milan in 1982 after starting his career in
1978 in the lower divisions of Italian soccer (his first team
was Salrenitana 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 the UEFA Cup in his last season with the
club. After being the backup keeper at the 1986 World Cup, Zenga
became the starter when Italy hosted the tournament in 1990, and
led the team to a third-place finish. He ended up with 58 caps
for his country.
In 1994, Zenga transferred to Sampdoria, and then to Padova two
years later. From there, it was to Major League Soccer and the
New England Revolution. Zenga backstopped 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). Zenga came
back to the Revs in 1999, as a player-coach, but only lasted a
year in both those position. He then went to Romania, first
managing National Bucharest and then Steaua Bucharest.
Zenga is nicknamed L'Uomo Ragno (Spiderman). 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.
