Dino Zoff

Dino Zoff (born February 28, 1942 in Mariano del Friuli, Italy) is an Italian legendary football goalkeeper and the oldest ever winner of the World Cup as a captain of the Italian national team in Spain in the {{Wc|1982}}. With 112 caps, Zoff is second only to Paolo Maldini in number of appearances for the Azzurri.

Playing Career

Zoff's career got off to an inauspicious start, when at the age of fourteen he had trials with Inter Milan and Juventus, but was rejected due to a lack of height. Five years later, having grown by 33 centimetres, he made his Serie A debut with Udinese, though Zoff made only four appearances for Udinese before moving to Mantova in 1963.

Related Topics:
Inter Milan - Juventus - Serie A - Udinese - Mantova - 1963

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In 1968, Zoff was transferred to Napoli. In the same year he made his debut for Italy, playing against Bulgaria in the quarter final of the 1968 European Championships. Italy proceeded to win the tournament, Zoff taking home a winners' medal after only his fourth international appearance.

Related Topics:
1968 - Napoli - Bulgaria - 1968 European Championships

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Left out of the Italian starting eleven in the {{Wc|1970}}, Zoff resumed his success after signing for Juventus in 1972. In eleven years with Juventus, Zoff won the Serie A championship six times, the Coppa Italia twice and the UEFA Cup once. However, Zoff's greatest feat came in the {{Wc|1982}}, where he captained Italy to victory in the tournament at the age of 41, making him the oldest ever winner of the World Cup.

Related Topics:
Juventus - Coppa Italia - UEFA Cup

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Zoff holds the record for the longest stretch (1142 minutes) without allowing any goals in international football, set between 1972 and 1974.

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