Dino Zoff facts for kids
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Zoff with Juventus in 1972
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 28 February 1942 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mariano del Friuli, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1961–1963 | Udinese | 38 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1963–1967 | Mantova | 131 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1972 | Napoli | 143 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1983 | Juventus | 330 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 642 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1983 | Italy | 112 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | Juventus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Lazio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Lazio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Lazio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Fiorentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Dino Zoff (born 28 February 1942) is a famous Italian former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. Many people think he is one of the greatest goalkeepers ever.
Zoff holds a special record: he is the oldest player to win the World Cup. He lifted the trophy as captain of the Italy national team in 1982. He was 40 years old at the time. He was also named the best goalkeeper of that tournament. He won the European Championship in 1968 with Italy. Zoff is the only Italian player to win both the World Cup and the European Championship.
He also had a very successful club career with Juventus. He won six Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia cups, and a UEFA Cup. He also reached two European Champions' Cup finals.
Experts like the IFFHS named Zoff the third greatest goalkeeper of the 20th century. He holds a world record for not letting in goals in international games for 1,142 minutes. This amazing streak happened between 1972 and 1974. He is also one of the most capped players for Italy, with 112 games. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé named Zoff as one of the 100 greatest living footballers.
After he stopped playing, Zoff became a manager. He coached the Italy national team and led them to the Euro 2000 final. He also coached several Italian club teams, including Juventus. With Juventus, he won the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia as a manager. He had won these trophies as a player too!
Contents
Early Life and Start in Football
Dino Zoff was born in Mariano del Friuli, Italy. He grew up in a farming family. His father suggested he also study to be a mechanic. This was a backup plan in case his football career did not work out. When he was young, Zoff loved other sports too. His heroes were cyclist Fausto Coppi and race walker Abdon Pamich.
Playing for Clubs
Early Career: Udinese, Mantova, and Napoli
Dino Zoff's football journey did not start easily. When he was 14, both Inter Milan and Juventus rejected him. They said he was not tall enough. But five years later, he had grown a lot! He made his first appearance in Serie A (Italy's top league) for Udinese in 1961.
After one season with Udinese, he moved to Mantova in 1963. He played there for four seasons. His great performances caught the eye of bigger clubs. In 1967, Zoff joined Napoli. He played five seasons for Napoli. During this time, he became well-known in Italy. He also made his first appearance for the Italian national team in 1968.
Success with Juventus
In 1972, at 30 years old, Zoff joined Juventus. This is where he achieved huge success. In his eleven years with Juventus, Zoff won the Serie A championship six times. He also won the Coppa Italia twice and the UEFA Cup once. He played in two European Cup finals with Juventus.
In 1973, he came second in the Ballon d'Or award. This award is for the best player in Europe. He almost won a "treble" (three major trophies) with Juventus that year. They won Serie A but lost in the European Cup and Coppa Italia finals. Zoff played 479 games for Juventus in total. He holds the club record for most consecutive Serie A games played (330).
Zoff won his last Serie A title with Juventus in 1982. This was the same year he won the World Cup with Italy as captain. His last club game was the 1983 European Cup final. Juventus lost 1-0 to Hamburg.
Amazing Records
When Zoff retired, he held several impressive records. He was the oldest Serie A player at 41 years old. He also had the most Serie A appearances (570 matches) for over 20 years. He is still the sixth highest appearance holder in Serie A history. Zoff also went 903 minutes without letting in a goal in Serie A during the 1972–73 season. This was a record for a long time. He also holds the record for most consecutive matches played in Serie A (332 games). This streak lasted from 1972 until his retirement in 1983.
Playing for Italy
European Champions and World Cup Glory
Dino Zoff first played for the senior Italy team in 1968. He helped Italy win the European Championship on home soil. He was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
He was a backup goalkeeper in the 1970 World Cup. Italy reached the final but lost to Brazil. Zoff became Italy's main goalkeeper from 1972 onwards. He played in the 1978 World Cup, where Italy finished fourth. He also played in the 1980 European Championships. Italy again finished fourth, and Zoff was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Zoff's biggest achievement came in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He was the captain of the Italian team. At 40 years old, he led Italy to victory, becoming the oldest player to win the World Cup. In a key match against Brazil, he made a fantastic save that helped Italy win 3-2 and move forward. After Italy beat West Germany 3-1 in the final, Zoff became only the second goalkeeper to captain a World Cup-winning team. He was also voted the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
His coach, Enzo Bearzot, praised Zoff's calm and strong character. He said Zoff was always modest and respectful. After the Brazil match, Zoff gave him a quiet kiss on the cheek. Bearzot said this was the most intense moment of the whole World Cup for him.
Zoff also holds the record for the longest time without letting in a goal in international football. This amazing streak was 1,142 minutes, from 1972 to 1974. It ended when Haiti scored against Italy in the 1974 World Cup. Zoff played his last game for Italy in 1983. He had played 112 games for his country, which was a record at the time.
How He Played
Dino Zoff was known as a very effective and experienced goalkeeper. He was not flashy but was incredibly reliable. He was great at positioning himself and catching the ball, especially from crosses. He was also very focused, consistent, and calm under pressure. Zoff had good reflexes and was excellent at stopping shots.
He was also very smart about the game. He could read plays well and talk to his defenders to organize the team. He was a strong leader and inspired confidence in his teammates. Zoff was also known for his hard work and dedication. He rarely got injured and played at a high level for a very long time, even into his late 30s and early 40s. Many people consider him one of the best goalkeepers of all time.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Zoff became a coach. He first worked with Juventus as a goalkeeping coach. Then he coached the Italian Olympic team, helping them qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics.
He became the head coach of Juventus from 1988 to 1990. During the 1989–90 season, he led Juventus to win both the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia. He then coached Lazio and later became their sporting director. With Lazio, he won the Coppa Italia in 1998.
In 1998, Zoff became the head coach of the Italy national team. He led a young Italian squad to the final of Euro 2000. They lost a very close game to France in extra time. Even though they reached the final, Zoff resigned a few days later. He was named the World Soccer Manager of the Year in 2000.
Zoff returned to coach Lazio in 2001. He later coached Fiorentina in 2005. He helped Fiorentina avoid being relegated (moved down to a lower league) on the last day of the season. This was the last club he coached.
Personal Life
Dino Zoff is married to Annamaria Passerini. They have a son named Marco, who was born in 1967. Zoff is a Roman Catholic.
In 2015, Zoff was in the hospital for a few weeks due to a viral infection. He later said he was scared for his family during that time. He recovered well and is doing fine.
Honours and Achievements
Player
Juventus
- Serie A: 1972–73, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1981–82
- Coppa Italia: 1978–79, 1982–83
- UEFA Cup: 1976–77
Italy
- FIFA World Cup: 1982
- UEFA European Championship: 1968
Manager
Juventus
- Coppa Italia: 1989–90
- UEFA Cup: 1989–90
Italy
- UEFA European Championship: Runner-up: 2000
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1968, 1980
- Ballon d'Or: 2nd place in 1973
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1982
- FIFA World Cup Best Goalkeeper: 1982
- FIFA 100 (one of the 100 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé)
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2012
- World Soccer Manager of the Year: 2000
Records
- FIFA World Cup: Oldest player to play in and win a final (40 years, 4 months, 13 days in 1982)
- UEFA Champions League/European Cup: Oldest player to play in a final (41 years, 86 days in 1983)
- Longest time without letting in a goal in international matches: 1142 minutes (1972–1974)
- Most consecutive appearances in Serie A: 332 (1972–1983)
Images for kids
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Zoff (left) with Juventus in 1975.
