Born in São Paulo, Zanardi began his career with Pão de Açúcar EC's under-15 sides before moving to Lithuania in 2006, with FC Vilnius.

He then worked for three years in the United Arab Emirates with Al-Nasr, before returning to Brazil in 2010 with Corinthians.

On 1 October 2021, after first team head coach Ricardo Catalá left, Zanardi was appointed in charge of São Bernardo for the remainder of the Copa Paulista,[9] and led the side to their second-ever title of the tournament.

He remained in charge of the club in the following years, achieving promotion in the 2022 Série D and reaching the quarterfinals of the 2023 Campeonato Paulista.

[11] On 27 September 2024, Zanardi replaced Portuguese Paulo Gomes at the helm of Botafogo-SP also in the second division.