Dino Zoff, one of the best goalkeepers in history and Italy’s Head Coach from 1998 to 2000, turns 80 today. Born on 28 February 1942 in Mariano del Friuli, he made his Serie A debut while on Udinese’s books prior to moving to Mantova and then Napoli in 1967. However, it was at Juventus where he really shone: from 1972 to 1983, he made 479 appearances across eleven seasons for the Bianconeri, winning the Scudetto (x6), Coppa Italia (x2), UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (x1) and UEFA Cup (x1) in the process. He also played in two European Cup finals.

Zoff’s first involvement with the Italian National Team was in April 1968. To this day, he’s the only Italian player who has won both the European Championship (in 1968) and, as captain, the World Cup following Italy’s unforgettable triumph in Spain ’82. He was the first Azzurri player to reach 100 caps, playing 112 times for his country in total.

Once his playing days were over, he coached the Italian Olympic side in Seoul before prestigious spells in the Juventus and Lazio dugouts followed. He also served as the Biancocelesti’s president for four years. In the summer of 1998, he replaced Cesare Maldini as Italy’s Head Coach. After qualifying for EURO 2000, he led the Azzurri to second place in the competition hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.

Antonio Candreva was born in Rome on 28 February 1987. After coming through the youth ranks of Lodigiani and Ternana, he went on to make his Serie A debut in 2008 for Udinese. He then joined Livorno on loan the following summer and excelled in Tuscany, resulting in Juventus signing him on a temporary basis in January 2010. Further loan spells at Parma and Cesena followed before Lazio came calling in January 2012. After signing for the Biancocelesti on a permanent basis in the summer that year, he went on to win the Coppa Italia with the club on 26 May 2013. In the summer of 2016, Candreva joined Inter, where he stayed until September 2020, when he moved to Sampdoria. 

As for Italy, after progressing through the youth setup and playing in the Olympics, he made his senior debut on 14 November 2009 as the Azzurri and the Netherlands drew 0-0. He was also involved in the 2013 Confederations Cup, where Italy finished third, and the World Cup in Brazil. On 16 November 2014, he scored his first Italy goal – against Croatia in EURO 2016 qualifying – before being selected in the squad for the tournament in France. So far, he has found the net seven times in 54 matches for the National Team.