The New England Revolution solved their goalkeeper difficulties March 4, signing former Italian international Walter Zenga.
A veteran of 369 Serie A matches, Zenga led the Italian national team to a third-place finish at the 1990 World Cup and was voted World’s Best Goalkeeper for that year.
“Walter is a player of the highest order, said New England coach Thomas Rongen. “We are delighted to have someone with his experience to help lead our team.”
Zenga is a native of Milan, and he made his Serie A debut with Inter Milan at age 24. He was a fixture in goal for the club for the next eleven years before moving to Sampdoria in 1994. He has most recently started for the Serie B’s Padova, former club of new Revolution teammate Alexi Lalas.
“Signing a player of Walter Zenga’s stature is a big step toward building a championship team,” said Revs GM Brian O’Donovan. “Our fans, the Revolution, and MLS have just cause to be excited today.”
Zenga has played at Foxboro Stadium before, making his final international appearance there in a 2-0 victory over Ireland during U.S. Cup ’92. The shutout was his 38th in 58 matches for Italy.
“I am tremendously excited to join the Revolution and MLS,” Zenga said. “I look forward to playing with the Revolution team members, sharing with them my experiences, and pursuing the MLS championship.”
Zenga is expected to join New England in Boston in two weeks.