Talleres (Argentina),
Banfield (Argentina), Inter Milan (Italy)
Honours
1998 UEFA Cup
winner (Inter Milan) 2000 Italian Cup Finals (Inter Milan)
Biography
Javier Zanetti (born August 10, 1973 in Buenos Aires) is an
Argentine football player and the current club captain of Inter.
On the club level, Zanetti has played for Talleres de Remedios
de Escalada (third division) and Banfield before moving to
Italy's Internazionale Milano in 1995. He was Massimo Moratti's
first ever purchase.
For Argentina, he has been capped 101 times (as of July 2005)
and played for his country at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups,
being the captain on many occasions. He was also a member of the
team, that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in
Atlanta, Georgia.
Originally nicknamed El Tractor because of his exceptional
strength and resilience, Zanetti carries this title with pride
owing to his fantastic ability to run past defenders from deep
in his defensive position. He is nowadays better known as Il
Capitano, the captain, moral leader and hero of the Inter fans.
Zanetti's qualities has made him a respected footballer all
around the world. He is sometimes criticized for being too soft-spoken
on the pitch, but he makes up for this by being one of Inter's
most consistent, reliable and trusted players. As such, he was
rewarded with the club captaincy, taking over from Giuseppe
Bergomi, the legendary defender. He is currently one of the
longest serving Inter players, having stayed at Inter for nearly
12 years.
To the Inter fans, Zanetti remains one of the greatest players
to have ever worn the colors of the black and blue. Throughout
his stay with the club, Il Capitano has won 3 trophies, the UEFA
Cup in 1998, a final in which he scored the second goal from a
wicked shot just outside the box, the 2005 Coppa Italia, and the
2005 Italian Super Cup. Whilst his stay at Inter has yet to
bring him the missing glory in Italian football, the league
championship (scudetto). The Inter tifosi often sing, in
reference to Javier Zanetti, "Noi abbiamo un argentino che gioca
al calcio meglio di Pelé" ("We have an Argentine that plays
football better than Pelé"). His passion for Inter and the fans
mutual adoration suggest that Zanetti, Il Capitano, will remain
in the memory of every Interista as one of Inter's leggends.
Zanetti was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living
footballers in March 2004. Together with his wife, they created
the Pupi fundation for the social integration of poor childen.
In 2005 The Milan townhall awarded Zanetti with the Ambrogino
d'Oro for his social initiative.
Zanetti's elder brother Sergio is a former football (soccer)
defender.
