Managerial Career
After he left New England Revolution, Zenga retired from active football, choosing to pursue a coaching career.
After a short stint with Milan amateurs Brera Calcio, Zenga moved to Romania in 2002, first managing Naţional Bucharest and then Steaua Bucureşti.
In the summer 2005, after being fired from Steaua before the end of the season, Zenga joined Red Star Belgrade, leading the Serbian team to a double (national league and national cup in Serbia and Montenegro).
In the summer 2006, Zenga was called to coach Turkish side Gaziantepspor; however, after a poor beginning (5 wins in 17 league matches), he resigned in January 2007 in order to accept an offer from United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain.
After just 5 months in charge Al-Ain sacked Zenga, who was announced in September 2007 as new Dinamo Bucharest coach, replacing Mircea Rednic, but resigning only two months later following a 1–0 loss in a local derby lost to Steaua.
He then accepted a job as football commentator and pundit for Italian public broadcasting service RAI.
On 1 April 2008, he agreed to replace resigning boss Silvio Baldini as manager of Catania. He made his Serie A debut on 6 April with a crush 3–0 home win to Napoli, leading them to a dramatic relegation escape during the final minutes of the league, after a 1–1 home draw against Roma.
Confirmed at the helm of Catania for the 2008–09 season, Zenga proved to be fit for the Italian top flight, leading the rossoazzurri to impressive results in the early part of the season, and agreeing a one-year contract extension with the Sicilian club.
Catania's playing style under Walter Zenga has being made famous due to the coach's care for free kick schemes; his assistant manager Gianni Vio is known to work exclusively on this particular side of football tactics during the weekly training sessions. He guided Catania to a mid-table finish and the Serie A points record for the Eastern Sicilian side; on the final home game of the season he announced he was parting company with his club by mutual consent.
On 5 June, after being linked with the managerial job at Lazio it was revealed that Zenga had agreed a three-year contract with Palermo to replace outgoing manager Davide Ballardini; the move was hailed as a massive surprise due to the rosanero club being rumoured to be interested in several other managers and the bitter rivalry between Palermo and Zenga's former team Catania, which are also the only two Sicilian teams playing in the Italian top flight. He debutted with a 4–2 Coppa Italia win to SPAL 1907, and a 2–1 home win to Napoli in the first week of the Serie A season. However, a number of disappointing results followed, ending in an unimpressive 1–1 home tie to Catania that led Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini to remove Zenga from his managerial duties on 23 November, after only thirteen league games in charge of the rosanero. On 13 January 2010, the coach terminated his contract with Palermo.
On 11 May 2010 he was announced new head coach of Saudi Arabian football club Al-Nassr. He was removed from his position on 24 December 2010 after a string of poor results led Al-Nasr to be overthrown from the top of the league table.
On 6 Jan 2011 Zenga appointed as new head coach for Al Nasr SC In UAE Pro league.
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