#3 Dino Zoff
As Player
As a player, Dino Zoff held esteemed records as a goalkeeper in the international scene with an equally decorated club background. Named the third best keeper of the 20th Century behind Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks, Zoff also holds the distinction of being the oldest player to win a World Cup and that too being named the best goalkeeper of that very tournament which he won at age 40 in 1982.
Zoff won the 1968 European Championships with Italy taking home a winners medal having only made his international debut in the semi-finals. In only two appearances, he was named the best Goalkeeper of the tournament.
Italy next returned to the UEFA European Championships late in 1980, a tournament which saw the Italians finish fourth having lost the Bronze medal match which was also the only game in the tournament that Dino Zoff actually conceded a goal, keeping 3 clean sheets in the other games. He was again elected Goalkeeper of the tournament for his brilliance.
As Manager
As Manager, Zoff did the unthinkable when he decided to stray from the tested defensive methods of his predecessors as he took a youthful Italy team into Euro 2000. The best part was that it seemed to work too as his team stormed into the final beating Turkey, Belgium and Sweden in the group stages to top their group and beating co-hosts Netherlands on penalties, having held them to a goalless draw in extra time. In the final, Zoff felt heartbreak like no other as his team came from being 60 seconds away from winning the final to losing it in extra time via David Trezeguet’s golden goal. A loss that would eventually see him resign in spite of being named World Soccer Manager of the Year, 2000.
