Javier Zanetti
Encyclopedia
Javier Adelmar Zanetti (born 10 August 1973 in Dock Sud
Dock Sud
Dock Sud is a district of the Avellaneda Partido of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater Buenos Aires agglomeration.-Sport:...

, Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...

) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

 club Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

. Javier Zanetti has played for Inter since 1995, taking the captain's armband from 29 August 1999. Known for his versatility, he is adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a fullback as well as a winger. He slots into several midfield positions with ease, particularly as a defensive or central midfielder. Internationally, he holds the record of the most capped player in the history of the Argentine national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

 and has played in the 1996 Olympic tournament
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....

 and in two World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

, in 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

 and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

.

Known as "Pupi" in Argentina, Zanetti was born in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

, picking up the nickname "Il Trattore" (The Tractor) soon after his move to Italy where his strength, resilience, stamina, and his ability to run past opposing defenders when joining the attack from his right back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 position earned him notoriety. More recently, he plays in the right midfield. He ended a 4-year goal drought when he scored on 5 November 2006. In the national team, he is deployed as a right back but is able to switch between defense and attack easily.

Zanetti has won five Serie A titles with Inter, having earned the nickname "Il Capitano" (The Captain) among the fans and media since taking captaincy at Inter. He holds the record for the highest all-time appearances by a non-Italian born player for an Italian club and his 757 official matches for the club put him first in Inter's all-time appearances list. Zanetti, who plans to retire with Inter and continue to work with the club thereafter, is also noted for his charity work, running a foundation to benefit disadvantaged children in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

. He has been named an ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental international development organisation which has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children since 1949. It was founded by Hermann Gmeiner in Imst, Austria...

 project in Argentina by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

, and in 2005, he received the Ambrogino d'Oro award from the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

 townhall for his social initiative. Zanetti is also a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....

.

The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final
2010 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...

 on 22 May 2010 was Zanetti's 700th game with Inter, and the team's victory on the night ensured that Zanetti marked the occasion by completing a historic treble. He also scored on 20 October 2010 against Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

 to make him the oldest player to score in the UEFA Champions League at the age of 37 years and 71 days. This record has since been surpassed by Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....

 and Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...

.

Early life

Javier Adelmar Zanetti was born in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

 to Violeta Bonnazola and grew up in the harbour area in the Dock Sud
Dock Sud
Dock Sud is a district of the Avellaneda Partido of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater Buenos Aires agglomeration.-Sport:...

 district. He combined schooling and working commitments, helping his bricklayer father in masonry alongside delivering milk, and working in his cousin's grocery store without neglecting his passion for football. He began playing football on a field in the city suburbs, maintaining the pitch in his spare time.

Talleres RE

Zanetti, after being rejected by the youth division of Argentina's Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....

, signed for Talleres de Remedios de Escalada
Club Atlético Talleres de Remedios de Escalada
Club Atlético Talleres, usually called Talleres de Remedios de Escalada or simply Talleres, is a sports club sited in Remedios de Escalada neighborhood, in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina...

 (a second division team at the time), where he played 33 matches and scored one goal in just one season, but moved in 1993 to the Argentine First Division
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...

 club Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield is an Argentine sports club located in the city of Banfield, part of Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province. Founded on 21 January 1896 by residents of the town of British origin , its main activity is football...

.

Banfield

A 20-year-old Zanetti debuted for Banfield on 12 September 1993 in a home match against River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....

. He scored his first goal 17 days later against Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...

 in a match that ended 1–1. His outstanding performances for Banfield gained popularity from El Taladro fans and also earned him a call-up from the national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

. First division giants River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....

 and Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....

 came knocking but Zanetti decided to stay on for another year at the club. In 1995, along with fellow Argentine Sebastián Rambert
Sebastián Rambert
Sebastián Pascual Rambert is a retired Argentine football striker. He was born on January 30, 1974, in the city of Bernal in the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina and is the descendant of French immigrants...

, he transferred to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

's Internazionale, becoming team owner Massimo Moratti
Massimo Moratti
Massimo Moratti is an Italian oil tycoon. He is the owner and President of Italian football team Football Club Internazionale Milano, and Chief Executive Officer of Saras S.p.A.-Life and career:...

's first-ever purchase.

Internazionale

He made his debut for Inter on 27 August 1995 against Vicenza
Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...

 in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

. Throughout his stay with the club, he has won 16 trophies, 15 of which came under his captaincy : the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

 in 1998 – scoring the second goal for the final with a shot outside the penalty area
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...

 –, the 2005, 2006 and 2010 Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

, the 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010 Italian Super Cup, the 2005–2006
Serie A 2005-06
In the 2005–06 season, Serie A, the major professional football league in Italian, was contested for the second year in a row by 20 teams. The league commenced on August 28, 2005 and finished on May 14, 2006...

, 2006–2007
Serie A 2006-07
The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...

, 2007–2008
Serie A 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...

, 2008–2009
Serie A 2008-09
The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008...

 and 2009–2010 Scudetti and the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League. In 2010 Zanetti became the first player to captain an Italian club to a treble of the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

.

Zanetti's qualities have earned him respect on and off the field. He is sometimes criticised 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 legendary defender Giuseppe Bergomi
Giuseppe Bergomi
Giuseppe Bergomi is a retired Italian footballer who spent his entire career at Internazionale, being equally at ease as a central or right defender....

. Being a part of the squad for the last 13 seasons and with over 700 appearances, he is currently the team's longest-tenured player, and the second overall behind Bergomi (758) in the all-time list of most capped Inter players. To Inter fans, Zanetti is one of the greatest players to have ever worn the colours of the black and blue. He celebrated his 600th cap for Inter in style with a 1–0 win over newly promoted Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....

. Minutes before the match, he was presented with a commemorative plate by vice-captain Iván Córdoba to mark the special occasion.

Since the arrival of Maicon at the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Zanetti was moved from the right back position into midfield. He ended a 4-year goal drought when he scored on 5 November 2006 at a home match against Ascoli
Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898 is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, having returned to it after two seasons spent in Serie A...

, having previously scored on 6 November 2002 at an away match against Empoli
Empoli F.C.
Empoli Football Club is an Italian association football club located in Empoli, Tuscany, founded in 1920 and played its first official match in 1921.In recent years, the club has all too often been bouncing between Italy's two top divisions...

. On 27 September 2006, against Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

, Zanetti played his 500th professional match for Inter and on 22 November 2006, he appeared in his 100th UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

 match against Sporting Clube de Portugal.

As of 2011, Zanetti has not received a red card in more than 12 years. The last time he was sent off was on 17 February 1999 in a Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

 match against Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...

. In fact, that was the only time he was sent off during his entire career at Inter Milan.

At Inter, Zanetti has had 17 different coaches (list), making him the only player to have played under this many coaches. His current contract with Internazionale runs until 2013 after he extended his contract at the summer of 2010. The captain has pledged his future to the Nerazzurri
Nerazzurri
Nerazzurri means "the black and light blue ones" in Italian . It is the nickname and the colours worn by the Italian first division football club FC Internazionale Milano. Its fans, supporters or followers are also called Nerazzurri. Other clubs that go by the same name are:*Atalanta B.C.*Pisa...

, hoping to have a future behind the desk at the club once he hangs up his boots after he quits playing. "Inter means a lot to me," Zanetti said
Though Zanetti is more often classified as a defender, he has played in the midfield for most of the first half of the 2008–09 season. For the last several weeks of October 2008, with Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 coach José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....

 facing a midfield crisis due to injuries to key midfielders Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau , nicknamed "Cuchu" , is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Italian Serie A club Internazionale....

 and Sulley Muntari
Sulley Muntari
Sulleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari is a Ghanaian international footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan in Italy. He has 66 caps for The Black Stars of Ghana.-Early career:...

, he was moved again to the midfield for the matches against Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...

 and Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

. Since then, Mourinho has played him in the midfield due to the preference of Maicon
Maicon
Maicon is a Brazilian given name. It may refer to:*Maicon Douglas Sisenando, Brazilian international association football player born in 1981 and currently playing for Italian club Internazionale and the Brazilian national team....

, Lúcio
Lúcio
Lucimar Ferreira da Silva , commonly known as Lúcio, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian Serie A club Inter and the Brazil national team. He is a strong defender with good aerial play, who adds presence in the attack.Lúcio began his professional career in 1997, in one...

, Wálter Samuel
Walter Samuel
Walter Adrián Samuel is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Internazionale. Throughout his career he has been regarded as one of football's toughest defenders, with team-mate and Inter captain Javier Zanetti referring to him as the "hardest player" he has played with.Having been gifted...

, and Cristian Chivu
Cristian Chivu
Cristian Eugen Chivu is a Romanian footballer. He currently plays for Internazionale of the Italian Serie A. He usually plays as a left back but can play as a center back as well as in defensive midfield when needed....

 in the back four.

The 2009–10 season began well for Zanetti and Inter, especially after a 4–0 thrashing of crosstown rivals in the Milan derby. In the 17 October match against Genoa, he started off the counterattack that led to Inter's second goal after dispossessing a Genoa player. Inter became the first team of the season to win by a 5-goal margin. On 24 October, he reached Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered...

's record of 476 Serie A appearances when he turned out for the match against Catania, which ended in a 2–1 win for the Nerazzurri. He also currently holds a club record of 149 consecutive appearances.

Inter won the 2010 Champions League Final
2010 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...

 2-0 against Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

 on 22 May 2010. This was Zanetti's 700th appearance for Internazionale.

On 20 October 2010, at 37 years and 71 days, Zanetti became the oldest player to score in the Champions League when he netted in the opening minute of Inter's 4-3 group stage win over at the San Siro. This was only his second ever Champions League goal; his first came in December 1998 in a match in a 2-0 win against Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz
SK Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909 and the club colours are black and white....

.

On 19 January 2011, Zanetti overtook Inter's legend Giuseppe Bergomi
Giuseppe Bergomi
Giuseppe Bergomi is a retired Italian footballer who spent his entire career at Internazionale, being equally at ease as a central or right defender....

 in Serie A appearances, his 757th match in Serie A all for Inter.

On 11 May 2011, Zanetti made his thousandth appearance as a professional footballer playing for Inter v/s Roma in the Coppa Italia Semi Final 2nd Leg.

On 20 September 2011, Javier Zanetti made all-time appearance record in Serie A clash against Novara. The Argentine defender replaced Giuseppe Bergomi in the Giuseppe Meazza side's record books upon his appearance against Novara. Even though Zanetti was a defender, he would attack the ball really deep into space providing balls for his attackers. This was Zanetti's trademark so he was given the nickname 'the tractor'.

International career

Zanetti debuted for Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

 on 16 November 1994 against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...

 under coach Daniel Passarella
Daniel Passarella
Daniel Alberto Passarella is a former Argentine football centre back and former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup...

. He has since represented his country at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

s. He was also part of the team that won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

 in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

, USA.

In the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

 run, he neatly finished off a Juan Sebastián Verón
Juan Sebastián Verón
Juan Sebastián Verón is an Argentinian professional football player who is the current captain and midfielder for Estudiantes de La Plata in the Argentine Primera División....

 free kick in the round of 16 match against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 making the score 2–2. Argentina went on to win 4–3 on penalties but lost the quarter-final match to the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...

.

Zanetti played for Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera is an Argentine association football coach and former defender, born in Rosario, Santa Fe...

's Argentine national team in the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

. However, they finished 3rd in their group, despite winning the opening match.

Zanetti celebrated his 100th cap by helping Argentina win their 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...

 semi-final over Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...

 on 26 June 2005, in which he won the Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...

 award.
After having been part of the team during the qualification rounds, Zanetti was not called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

 by coach José Pekerman
José Pekerman
José Néstor Pékerman is an Argentine football coach and an ex-football player. He become famous as a youth level coach for Argentina, winning the FIFA World Youth Championship three times, and the U-20 South American Youth Championship twice...

 in a controversial decision. Instead, Lionel Scaloni
Lionel Scaloni
Lionel Sebastián Scaloni is an Argentine footballer who plays for S.S. Lazio in the Italian first division. A player of wide range, he can appear as both a right defender or midfielder....

 was given a surprise selection, a move that bewildered many fans and media.

With new coach Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile , known as Coco, is an Argentine football coach and former player.-Playing career:Basile started his playing career at the Bella Vista club in his home city. From 1964 to 1970 he played for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a mainstay of the 1973 Metropolitano champions...

, Zanetti was called for a friendly match against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...

 on 7 February 2007. He played brilliantly and helped Javier Saviola
Javier Saviola
Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, as a striker....

 to score the only goal of the game that gave Argentina the first victory under Basile's second management. That same year, Zanetti was vice-captain of the Argentine Squad for the Copa América 2007
Copa América 2007
The 2007 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, known simply as the 2007 Copa América or 2007 Copa América Venezuela, was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams...

, having previously appeared in the 1995
Copa América 1995
The 1995 Copa América football tournament was staged in Uruguay. It was won by Uruguay, who beat Brazil 5-3 in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the final. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, with Mexico and the USA invited in order to reach 12 teams....

, 1999
Copa América 1999
The 1999 Copa América was a football tournament held in Paraguay, from June 29 to July 18, 1999. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament...

 and the 2004
Copa América 2004
The Copa América 2004 was the 41st edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body, and was held in Peru, who hosted the tournament for the sixth time,...

 editions of the tournament.

In April 2007, Zanetti was presented with the National Giuseppe Prisco Award. Since the retirement of Ayala, Zanetti has been given the captain's armband. At a World Cup qualification match against Bolivia
Bolivia national football team
The Bolivia national football team is the national team of Bolivia and is controlled by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol. After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they qualified just once—in 1994...

 on 17 November 2007, he became the most capped player ever for Argentina.

Zanetti remained a regular under new coach Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...

, although Barcelona defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano took over as captain at Maradona's request. Despite his heroics in the Champions league, Maradona failed to call up Zanetti and his Inter team-mate Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau , nicknamed "Cuchu" , is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Italian Serie A club Internazionale....

 for the Argentina squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...

, this move was heavily criticized by football pundits from not only South-America but also Europe. Instead Ariel Garcé
Ariel Garcé
Ariel Hernán Garcé nicknamed Chino , is an Argentine football defender who currently plays for Colón de Santa Fe in the Argentine Primera División. He usually plays as a central defender or as a right full-back.- Club :...

, 30 years old, after been called just two times in the last five years, received a shocking selection, but ultimately did not play a single minute in any world cup match.

On 20 August 2010 Argentina National Team new coach Sergio Batista
Sergio Batista
Sergio Daniel "Checho" Batista is an Argentine football manager and former footballer. He played as a midfielder, and represented his national team 39 times between 1985 and 1990. He was head coach of Argentina national football team from July 2010 to July 2011.-Club:Batista played youth football...

 recalled Javier Zanetti to the Argentina National Team for a friendly against Spain played on Tuesday 7 September 2010 at the River Plate Monumental Stadium where along fellow legend Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...

 were awarded by the Argentine Football Association for their outstanding careers with more than 48000 people standing and clapping. He was called again for the friendly against Japan in Saitama of October 2010 but widthdrew last minute due to injury.

International goals and caps

Argentina's goal tally first.

Club

Correct as of 20 September 2011

Team Season League Cup Continental1 Other2 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Talleres RE
Club Atlético Talleres de Remedios de Escalada
Club Atlético Talleres, usually called Talleres de Remedios de Escalada or simply Talleres, is a sports club sited in Remedios de Escalada neighborhood, in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina...

1992–93 33 1 33 1
Total 33 1 33 1
Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield
Club Atlético Banfield is an Argentine sports club located in the city of Banfield, part of Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires province. Founded on 21 January 1896 by residents of the town of British origin , its main activity is football...

1993–94 37 1 37 1
1994–95 29 3 29 3
Total 66 4 66 4
Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

1995–96 32 3 5 0 2 0 39 3
1996–97 33 3 5 1 12 0 50 4
1997–98 28 0 4 0 9 2 41 2
1998–99 34 3 5 0 9 1 2 0 48 4
1999–00 34 1 8 1 1 0 43 2
2000–01 29 0 1 0 4 0 34 0
2001–02 33 0 1 1 10 1 44 2
2002–03 34 1 1 0 18 0 53 1
2003–04 34 0 5 0 12 0 51 0
2004–05 35 0 3 0 11 0 49 0
2005–06 25 0 5 0 8 0 1 0 39 0
2006–07 37 1 4 0 8 0 1 0 50 1
2007–08 38 1 4 0 8 0 1 0 51 1
2008–09 38 0 4 0 8 0 1 0 51 0
2009–10
2009–10 Serie A
The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season...

37 0 4 0 13 0 1 0 55 0
2010–11
2010–11 Serie A
The 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011...

35 0 4 0 8 1 4 1 51 2
2011–12
2011–12 Serie A
The 2011–12 Serie A is the eightieth season since its establishment, and the second under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 9 September 2011 and will end on 13 May 2012. The league was originally scheduled to start on 27 August, but this was delayed due to a strike by the players...

9 0 4 0 1 0 14 0
Total 543 12 63 3 142 5 13 1 762 24
Career Total 642 17 64 3 141 5 13 1 864 29

1Continental competitions include the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 and UEFA Cup


2Other tournaments include the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

 play-off, Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...

, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...


International

|-
|1994||3||0
|-
|1995||15||1
|-
|1996||6||0
|-
|1997||4||0
|-
|1998||9||2
|-
|1999||11||0
|-
|2000||7||0
|-
|2001||9||0
|-
|2002||6||0
|-
|2003||8||1
|-
|2004||14||1
|-
|2005||10||0
|-
|2006||0||0
|-
|2007||15||0
|-
|2008||11||0
|-
|2009||8||0
|-
|2010||2||0
|-
|2011||7||0
|-
!Total||145||5
|}

Competition statistics

  • Serie A
    Serie A
    Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

     : 539 appearances, 12 goals
  • Coppa Italia
    Coppa Italia
    The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

     : 64 appearances, 3 goals
  • Supercoppa Italiana
    Supercoppa Italiana
    The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...

     : 7 appearances
  • UEFA Champions League
    UEFA Champions League
    The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

     : 98 appearances, 2 goals
  • UEFA Cup : 43 appearances, 3 goals
  • FIFA Club World Cup
    FIFA Club World Cup
    The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...

     : 2 appearances, 1 goal
  • FIFA World Cup
    FIFA World Cup
    The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

     : 8 appearances, 1 goal
  • FIFA Confederations Cup
    FIFA Confederations Cup
    The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...

     : 8 appearances
  • Copa America
    Copa América
    The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...

     : 22 appearances

Club

Internazionale
  • Serie A
    Serie A
    Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

     (5): 2005–06
    Serie A 2005-06
    In the 2005–06 season, Serie A, the major professional football league in Italian, was contested for the second year in a row by 20 teams. The league commenced on August 28, 2005 and finished on May 14, 2006...

    , 2006–07
    Serie A 2006-07
    The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...

    , 2007–08
    Serie A 2007-08
    The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...

    , 2008–09
    Serie A 2008-09
    The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008...

    , 2009–10
  • Coppa Italia
    Coppa Italia
    The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

     (4): 2004–05
    Coppa Italia 2004-05
    -Group 1:-Group 2:-Group 3:-Group 4:-Group 5:-Group 6:-Group 7:-Group 8:-Knockout stage:-First leg:---------Second leg:--------Inter win Coppa Italia 3–0 on aggregate.-References:*...

    , 2005–06
    2006 Coppa Italia Final
    The 2006 Coppa Italia Final was a double match played between AS Roma and Internazionale.The first leg was played in Rome on 3 May 2006, while the second leg on 11 May.Inter won the trophy with an aggregate result of 4–2....

    , 2009–10, 2010–11
    2011 Coppa Italia Final
    The 2011 Coppa Italia Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Coppa Italia, the 63rd season of the top cup competition in Italian football. The match was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 29 May 2011 between Internazionale and Palermo. Internazionale won by 3–1 to retain the trophy.-Road to...

  • Supercoppa Italiana
    Supercoppa Italiana
    The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...

     (4): 2005
    2005 Supercoppa Italiana
    The 2005 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by 2004-05 Serie A champions Juventus and 2004-05 Coppa Italia winners Internazionale. The match took place on 20 August 2005, and resulted in a 1-0 win for Internazionale after extra time.-Match details:...

    , 2006
    2006 Supercoppa Italiana
    The 2006 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by the 2005-06 winners Internazionale and the 2005-06 Coppa Italia runners-up Roma. The Coppa Italia runners-up were chosen to play instead of the winners because of the aftermath of the 2006 Serie A match-fixing scandal...

    , 2008
    2008 Supercoppa Italiana
    The 2008 Supercoppa Italiana is a football match that was played by Serie A 2007-08 winners Internazionale and Coppa Italia 2007-08 winners Roma. The match proved to be a tightly contested affair. After exchanging goals, it appeared that Inter was on its way to victory on Mario Balotelli's goal...

    , 2010
    2010 Supercoppa Italiana
    - References :...

  • UEFA Champions League
    UEFA Champions League
    The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

     (1): 2009–10
    2010 UEFA Champions League Final
    The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...

  • UEFA Cup
    UEFA Cup
    The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

     (1): 1997–98
    1998 UEFA Cup Final
    The 1998 UEFA Cup Final was a football match played at Parc des Princes in Paris on 6 May 1998 between Internazionale and Lazio of Italy. Internazionale won the match 3–0. It was the first single-legged UEFA Cup final.-Match details:...

  • FIFA Club World Cup
    FIFA Club World Cup
    The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...

     (1): 2010
    2010 FIFA Club World Cup Final
    The 2010 FIFA Club World Cup Final was the final match of the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, a football tournament for the champion clubs from each of FIFA's six continental confederations. The match took place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on 18 December 2010, and pitted African champions TP...



Minor:
  • Trofeo Tim: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011
  • Birra Moretti Cup
    Birra Moretti Cup
    -2004:* 3 points for win, 0 points for loss* 2 points for shoot-out win, 1 point for shoot-out loss* Juventus F.C. wins tournament---------2005:* 3 points for win, 0 points for loss...

    : 2001, 2002, 2007
  • Pirelli Cup: 2001, 2002, 2003,2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Individual

  • FIFA 100
    FIFA 100
    The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...

  • Pallone d'Argento
    Pallone d'Argento
    The Pallone d'Argento is an annual award instituted by the Unione Stampa Sportiva Italiana or USSI...

    : 2002
  • FIFA Team of the Year 2009 Nominee (Right-back):

Personal life

On 23 December 1999, Javier and Paula Zanetti were married in Argentina, after seven years of dating. They live near Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...

, where they own a restaurant called "El Gaucho". Today, Paula Zanetti, daughter of a university teacher, works as a photographer. On 11 June 2005, she gave birth to a baby girl, Sol Zanetti. Javier Zanetti said, "I'm very happy about this baby girl who has come into my life. It was a beautiful experience with my wife. My daughter will have all the happiness she deserves." Zanetti also has a son Ignacio.

Zanetti, a devout Catholic, is a close friend of Dutch footballer Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....

, whom he inspired to convert to Catholicism.

Zanetti's elder brother Sergio
Sergio Zanetti
Sergio Zanetti is a former football defender.-Career:He played for Talleres de Remedios de Escalada, Deportivo Español, and Racing Club in Argentina, Cremonese , Verbania , AC Bellinzona and FC Locarno .After retirement he turned into a youth team coach for...

 is a former football defender.

In 2007, Zanetti collaborated with Italian singer Mina
Mina (singer)
Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...

 in a Spanish cover of the song "Parole parole", found in the album Todavía
Todavía (album)
Todavìa is an album by Italian singer Mina, issued in 2007.The album features 13 songs in Spanish and one in Portuguese, and includes seven duets with Latin-American, Spanish and Italian stars.- Tracks listing :# Grande amor - 4:38...

.

Javier Zanetti is not related to Cristiano Zanetti
Cristiano Zanetti
Cristiano Zanetti is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie B club Brescia.-Early career:He played for Fiorentina , Venezia , Reggiana before joined Internazionale at age of 21....

, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 who played alongside him for five seasons and is currently playing for Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...

 in Serie B.

Charity work

Zanetti is FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental international development organisation which has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children since 1949. It was founded by Hermann Gmeiner in Imst, Austria...

 project in Argentina, and has declared his support for the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 Zapatista rebels
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....

.

Fundación PUPI

Zanetti has also proven that he has a highly developed social conscience. In response to Argentina's economic crisis of 2001, which threw millions of people into poverty, Zanetti, with his wife Paula, created the Fundación PUPI (PUPI foundation) in Argentina for the social integration of poor children. The aim of the organization is to help children who were left impoverished by the country's economic crisis by giving them educational opportunities, as well as taking care of their nutritional requirements.

"When I look back to my childhood, many concrete scenes come to my mind, good ones and bad ones. I had a difficult childhood, and even though I don't live in my country at present, I'm well aware of what's going on there and the devastating effect it's having on our poorest children. I've always believed that our public actions need to take account of our social responsibility,"
he explained.

Leoni di Potrero

Zanetti, along with his compatriot and current teammate at Inter Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau , nicknamed "Cuchu" , is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Italian Serie A club Internazionale....

, founded this charity association to help coach young children with social isolation problems and motor coordination difficulties. Zanetti said that "this spirit lies at the base of all of Inter's initiatives for youngsters:"

"There must always be values at the heart of sport, and this is what we have to teach children."

External links

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