Walter Zenga was Inter and still is Inter for various reasons. It’s difficult to find a story in the history of football of a love so strong between a player and the fans who were literally his people. Zenga was a great Interista before being a legendary goalkeeper or a good Coach. A confident braggart at times, he was spontaneous and in love, his relationship with Inter was the same on the pitch or from the Curva Nord where he often went in his youth.

The Inter first team was his heaven after he went to toughen up for four years at provincial sides such as Salerno, Savona, San Benedetto del Tronto. He left as a boy and came back a man having gone through the tough retreats of the time that built camaraderie. He had time to return to San Siro and make 474 appearances during an extraordinary career. He was the best goalkeeper in the world for three years, he played in two World Cups and at one only conceded twice in seven matches that unbelievably ended with Italy finishing third. He won the Scudetto in excellent fashion as the side set records against tough opposition: Milan with their Dutch stars, Maradona’s Napoli, Vialli and Mancini’s Samp and the Juventus of Laudrup and Altobelli.

Walter was given the send-off that he deserved, not the one he needed. Against Salzburg in May 1994 he even saved the impossible and Inter won the second Uefa Cup in club history.