Zoff, Dino (1942-…), is a former Italian professional soccer player and coach. Zoff is considered one of the greatest players in soccer history. From the 1960’s into the 1980’s, he starred for professional clubs in Italy, most famously for Juventus FC in Turin . FC stands for football club. Soccer is called football in much of the world. Zoff also starred for the Italian national team, commonly known as Gli Azzurri (The Blues). A goalkeeper, Zoff was known for his outstanding defensive skills as well as his leadership and his calm demeanor under pressure. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials) .
Zoff was born in the small northern Italian town of Mariano del Friuli, Gorizia, on Feb. 28, 1942. Dino excelled at soccer as a youth, making his professional debut with the local Udinese Calcio club in 1961. In 1963, he transferred to AC Mantova in Mantua, Lombardy . AC stands for Associazione Calcio (football association). In 1967, Zoff moved to SSC Napoli , where he gained notoriety and respect around Italy’s top league, Serie A. SSC stands for Società Sportiva Calcio (Football Sporting Society). In 1968, Zoff first kept goal for the Azzurri as the team won the European Championship. Zoff was the backup goalie for Italy as the team finished second in the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico . FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body.
In 1972, Zoff transferred to Juventus, where he won six Seria A league titles over the next 11 seasons. With Zoff in goal, Juventus reached the 1973 and 1983 finals of the European Cup, an annual club tournament now called the Champions League . Zoff started in goal for the Azzurri in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups. In 1982, Zoff captained Italy to a World Cup championship in Spain . Zoff played one more season with Juventus before retiring in 1983.
In 1988, Zoff began a coaching career that lasted until 2005. During those years, he coached Juventus (1988-1990), Rome ’s SS Lazio (1990-1994), the Italian national team (1998-2000), and Florence ‘s ACF Fiorentina (2005). ACF stands for Associazione Calcio Firenze (Florence Football Association).
