| ITALY | |
| 1961-1983 | |
| Udinese (1961-1963) Mantova (1963-1967) Napoli (1967-1972) Juventus (1972-1983) | |
He was a winner with both club and country, and most pundits have ranked him among the top three goalkeepers of all time. He was one of the greatest keepers in Serie A history, winning six Scudetti, two Coppa Italia titles, and one UEFA Cup during his tenure at Juventus. He had to wait a bit before he could achieve success on the international level. He made one start for Italy during their run to the 1968 European Champions, picking up a win against Bulgaria in the Quarterfinals, and didn’t play at all during the 1970 World Cup. When he finally became the undisputed Number One, he immediately showed that it was a long-time coming. He didn’t concede an international goal for an astounding 1,142 minutes, a span that lasted from 1972 to 1974. He captained Italy to the 1982 World Cup and became the oldest man to ever hold the trophy.
He had outstanding instincts, lightning-quick reflexes, and was a great shot-stopper. He wasn’t all natural talent, however, as he also had an excellent sense of positioning. Unlike some of his counterparts, who played with fire and passion, Zoff was unflappable on the pitch, projecting a quiet, but strong confidence that was infectious. He rarely yelled at teammates, almost never humiliated them, and was revered for his sportsmanship. His leadership during the 1982 World Cup was widely praised as he held his team together amid stinging criticism from the press back home in Italy. After early setbacks, the Italian team came together and put together an impressive string of victories that included wins against the Maradona-led Argentinean squad, Brazil, Poland, and West Germany.
Dignified and cool under pressure, Zoff showed that you don’t have to have an outsized personality to be a successful goalkeeper.
