Javier Adelmar Zanetti (Spanish:[xaˈβjeɾaðelˈmaɾsaˈneti],Italian:[dzaˈnetti]; born 10 August 1973) is an Argentine former professionalfootballer. He spent almost his entire career atInter Milan,[3][4] , despite growing up an avidJuventus fan. Zanetti was known for his versatility as well as his adeptness on both the left and right wing, having played mostly as afull-back orwing-back on both flanks, but also spending considerable time as amidfielder.[5] He had a key role in thetreble-winning2009–10 season, and he is currently the vice-president of Inter Milan.
With theArgentina national team, Zanetti played in 145 games,[7][2] a figure that makes him the player with the joint-third most appearances in the history ofLa Albiceleste, having formerly held the record from 2007 to 2018. With Argentina he reached the final of theCopa América in2004 and2007, and theFIFA Confederations Cup in1995 and2005.
On retiring, Inter Milan retired Zanetti's number 4 jersey and named him as its vice president.[8] He has been named an ambassador for theSOS Children's Villages project in Argentina byFIFA, and in 2005 he received theAmbrogino d'Oro award from the city ofMilan for his social initiatives. Zanetti is also a Global Ambassador for theSpecial Olympics.
Javier Adelmar Zanetti was born inBuenos Aires to working-class parents ofItalian ancestry and grew up in the harbour area in theDock Sud district, one of the city's most notorious areas. His father Rodolfo was abricklayer and his mother Violeta Bonnazola was a cleaner.[9] Reportedly, some of Zanetti's ancestors were Italian settlers brought to southern Chile byGiorgio Ricci in the aftermath of theOccupation of Araucanía (1861–1883).[10] He began playing football on a field in the city suburbs, maintaining the pitch in his spare time. When he was a teenager, he tried out for local clubIndependiente's youth academy, but was ultimately rejected and told that he lacked the physique to succeed in the game. Instead, he concentrated on school and worked as an assistant to his father with masonry as well as odd jobs such as delivering milk and helping out at a relative's grocery store.[9]
After his rejection from Independiente, Zanetti signed forTalleres, then a second division team. With them, he played 33 matches and scored one goal in his only season, before moving in 1993 to theFirst Division clubBanfield.
A 20-year-old Zanetti debuted for Banfield on 12 September 1993 in a home match againstRiver Plate. He scored his first goal 17 days later againstNewell's Old Boys in a match that ended 1–1. His outstanding performances for Banfield gained popularity fromEl Taladro fans and also earned him a call-up from thenational team. First division giants River Plate andBoca Juniors displayed interest, but Zanetti decided to stay on for another year at the club. In 1995, along with fellow ArgentineSebastián Rambert, he transferred to Italy'sInter Milan, becoming team ownerMassimo Moratti's first-ever purchase.
As a part of the squad for 19 seasons and with 858 appearances across all competitions, he is currently the team's longest-tenured player, and the first overall – surpassingGiuseppe Bergomi (758) – in the all-time list of Inter players by most games played.
Zanetti went 12 years without being sent off in a match. The first time he was sent off in his career was on 17 February 1999 in a Coppa Italia match againstParma, but he broke his streak when he was sent off in aSerie A match againstUdinese on 3 December 2011. These were the only two times he was sent off during his entire career at Inter.
At Inter, Zanetti played under19 different coaches, making him the only player to have played under this many coaches. He has pledged his future to theNerazzurri, hoping to have a future behind the desk at the club in his retirement from playing. "Inter means a lot to me", Zanetti said.
It was the first team to open the doors of European football. I was very young when I came here and I think not many teams could have had so much faith and patience with a boy in his early 20s from the very first day like Inter did with me. I will always be grateful for that. For some reason I have always felt at home here at Inter and this is why I have never thought of leaving.[11]
Zanetti made his debut for Inter on 27 August 1995 againstVicenza inMilan. He scored Inter's second goal in their 3–0 win over compatriotsLazio in the1998 UEFA Cup final at theParc des Princes in Paris,[12] his first silverware at the club, after losing in thefinal in the previous season.
After two years, in which he consistently wore the captain band in place of the injuredRonaldo, Zanetti was rewarded with the club captaincy in late 2001.[6]
In August 2003, Zanetti signed a new contract with the club until June 2007.[13][14]
After the arrival ofMaicon at the beginning of the2006–07 season, Zanetti was moved from the right-back position intomidfield.[5] He ended a four-year goal drought when he scored on 5 November 2006[15] at a home match againstAscoli, having previously scored on 6 November 2002 at an away match againstEmpoli. On 27 September 2006, againstBayern Munich, Zanetti played his 500th professional match for Inter[16] and on 22 November 2006, he appeared in his 100thUEFA match, againstSporting CP.[17]
Zanetti played an important role in the2008 Supercoppa Italiana match over Roma, scoring his team's last penalty in a subsequent shootout win after the regular and extra time ended in a 2–2 draw; this was his first ever career penalty and the third Supercoppa Italiana title.[18][19] Zanetti then celebrated his 600th match for Inter on 24 September 2008 with a 1–0 win over newly promotedLecce.[20] Minutes before the match, he was presented with a commemorative plate by former vice-captainIván Córdoba to mark the occasion.[21]
Zanetti playing for Inter in 2009
Though Zanetti is more often classified as a defender, he played mostly in midfield during the first half of the2008–09 season. For the last several weeks of October 2008, with Inter coachJosé Mourinho facing a midfield crisis due to injuries to key midfieldersEsteban Cambiasso andSulley Muntari, he was moved again to the midfield for the matches againstGenoa andFiorentina. During that period, Mourinho played him in the midfield due to the presence of Maicon,Lúcio,Walter Samuel andCristian Chivu in the back four.
The2009–10 season began well for Zanetti and Inter, especially after a 4–0 thrashing of crosstown rivalsMilan in theDerby della Madonnina. In the match against Genoa on 17 October, he started off the counter-attack that led to Inter's second goal after dispossessing a Genoa player.[22] Inter became the first team of the season to win by a five-goal margin. On 24 October, he reachedGiacinto Facchetti's record of 476 Serie A appearances when he turned out for the match againstCatania, which ended in a 2–1 win for theNerazzurri.
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 overTottenham Hotspur at theSan Siro.[26] This was only his second ever Champions League goal; his first came in December 1998 in a match in a 2–0 win againstSturm Graz. He scored one of Inter's goals in their 3–0 win againstSeongnam Ilhwa Chunma at the2010 FIFA Club World Cup,[27] which they eventually won, although Inter missed out on theUEFA Super Cup that season.
On 19 January 2011, Zanetti overtook Inter legendGiuseppe Bergomi in Serie A appearances, his 520th match in Serie A, all for Inter. On 11 May 2011, Zanetti made his 1,000th appearance as a professional footballer playing for Inter againstRoma in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final. On 20 September 2011, Zanetti made the all-time appearance record in a Serie A clash againstNovara, surpassing Giuseppe Bergomi.
On 10 March 2013, Zanetti played in his 600th Serie A match for Inter, a 1–0 loss toBologna at the San Siro.[28] On 21 April 2014, in the 1–0 home win against Parma, Zanetti played his 1,100th official match, and became the player with the fourth-most appearances of all time.[29]
On 29 April 2014, Inter chairmanErick Thohir announced that Zanetti would retire at the end of the2013–14 season and become a club director.[30] Zanetti's last competitive match at the San Siro was a 4–1 victory over Lazio on 10 May 2014.[31][32] He came on as a substitute forJonathan Moreira in the 52nd minute and wore a special armband featuring the names of every player he had played with during his career at Inter.[citation needed] He retired after the last game of the season, which he started as centre-back in a 2–1 away defeat toChievo on 18 May.[33]
On 4 May 2015, during a charitable match at the San Siro, with former and current football stars, organised by Zanetti himself for the opening celebrations for theExpo 2015 in Milan, Inter officially retired Zanetti's number 4 jersey.[34]
With new coachAlfio Basile, Zanetti played a friendly match againstFrance on 7 February 2007, helpingJavier Saviola to score the only goal of the game that gave Argentina the first victory under Basile's second management.[40]
Zanetti during the friendly match against Portugal in 2011
In April 2007, Zanetti was presented with theNational Giuseppe Prisco Award.[41] After the retirement ofRoberto Ayala, Zanetti was given the captain's armband. In a World Cup qualification match againstBolivia on 17 November 2007, he became the highest capped player for Argentina.[42]
On 20 August 2010, Argentina coachSergio Batista recalled Zanetti to the squad for a friendly match againstSpain played on 7 September 2010 at the River Plate Monumental Stadium, where he and fellow legendGabriel Batistuta were honored by theArgentine Football Association for their outstanding careers with more than 48,000 people giving them astanding ovation.[45] He was called again for the friendly against Japan at theSaitama in October 2010, but withdrew at the last minute due to injury.[46]
Zanetti was a member of Argentina's squad for the2011 Copa América on home soil, starting in all four of the team's matches as they were eliminated byUruguay in the quarter-finals.[47]
Zanetti making a tackle in an international friendly againstRussia in 2009
I faced Zanetti for the first time in the Champions League quarter-finals in 1999, he was the right-back and I was on the left. He impressed with his qualities, his speed, power, intelligence and expertise. I played against him twice more and he was my most difficult opponent, a complete player.
Zanetti earned the nicknameEl Tractor for his stamina and tireless energetic runs up and down the wings to aid both attack and defence. He was known amongst his teammates for consistency and fitness regime, which he has credited with prolonging his career.[9][49] During his last few seasons, he started in over 30 games despite being in his late 30s. As a captain for both his club and international sides, he was well-respected by both fans and the opposition for his leadership, calm demeanor and conduct both on and off the pitch; in his entire 22-year career, he only received two red cards.[50]
Zanetti was a quick, strong and physically fit player in his prime, with outstanding physical attributes, excellent ball control,dribbling, technical ability and acceleration.[51] Defensively, he excelled at reading the game, and he was a good ball-winner and man-marker, although he was also effective at distributing the ball to teammates, due to his passing range and vision.[52] A two-way and two-footed player, he excelled at playing on either flank, where he was capable of advancing into more offensive positions tocross balls for teammates. He also possessed an accurate shot from distance. During his later years at Inter, he was known to have developed a formidable partnership with fellow full-back Maicon, leading the club to win several titles.[51]
Zanetti began his career as aright offensive winger,[52] but was later moved back into midfield, where he became a tactically intelligent and versatile player, who was capable of playing anywhere inmidfield or indefence. He was primarily used as awide midfielder or as afull-back orwing-back on either flank throughout his career, although he has also been deployed as acentral defender,sweeper, or as acentral ordefensive midfielder. He was even deployed in moreoffensive roles on occasion.[49][51] Zanetti has been praised for his determination, consistency, and work-rate, as well as his discipline and longevity, which he has attributed to his diligence in training sessions.[53][54][55]
On 23 December 1999, Zanetti married his long-time girlfriend Paula de la Fuente, the daughter of a university lecturer.[56] They met when he was 19 and she was 14 and dated for seven years prior to their marriage. They live nearLake Como, and they also own a restaurant called El Gaucho in Milan in the Navigli district, a popular tourist area.[56] Paula currently works as a photographer. The couple have a daughter, Sol (born 11 June 2005), and two sons, Ignacio (born 27 July 2008) and Tomás (born 9 May 2012).[56]
Zanetti's mother, Violeta Bonazzola, died from a heart attack hours after Inter's triumph in2011 Coppa Italia final.[57] He has published two autobiographies:Capitano e gentiluomo in 2010 andGiocare da uomo in 2013.[58][59]
I must admit that [what] I feel at this moment is especially a thrill for all of us Argentines. [I] do not know him personally, but it is a Pope who has lived in Buenos Aires, very humble and always always close to our people. Faith is so important in the world and us we are all close. I had the good fortune to meet Pope Ratzinger and now I expect to have the 'opportunity to meet the new national pope, it would be a great thrill for me and my whole family. [I] wish him all the best and again, for all of us as people of Argentina [it] is a great feeling.[62]
Zanetti is a close friend of Dutch footballerWesley Sneijder, whom he inspired to convert to Catholicism.[63]
Zanetti's elder brotherSergio is a former football defender. Javier Zanetti is not related toCristiano Zanetti, an Italian who played alongside him for five seasons at Inter.[64]
In 2007, Zanetti collaborated with Italian singerMina in a Spanish cover of the song "Parole parole", found in the albumTodavía.
Zanetti has also shown social conscience when in response to Argentina'seconomic crisis of 2001, which threw millions of people into poverty, Zanetti, with his wife Paula, created theFundación PUPI[67] 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. He explained:
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,
Zanetti, along with his compatriotEsteban Cambiasso, 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:"[68]
In 2023, Zanetti wrote the foreword to the official Inter bookLe maglie dell'Inter, authored byFrancesco Ippolito. The volume, reissued in 2025, is an encyclopedic collection that documents all the kits worn throughout the history of Inter Milan since its founding in 1908.[71]
At the 1998 World Cup, Zanetti scored the last goal of a 2–2 draw with England in the round of 16, sending the game to extra time and penalties. Marek Kopacz, who was married to future prime ministerEwa Kopacz, was a prosecutor in the Polish city ofSzydłowiec; he had been stalked by a gang who knew that he usually got in his car at 10 p.m., but he changed his routine to watch the rest of the game, and avoided being killed by a car bomb. Marek Kopacz sent a letter of thanks to Zanetti and credited him with saving his life, and Zanetti responded that he would like to meet him.[72][73][74]
^Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it (17 November 2006)."F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Archived fromthe original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved14 October 2017.
^"Javier Zanetti Story" (in Italian). Premio Gentleman. 6 February 2015. Retrieved25 April 2016.
^"La Selección de Todos los Tiempos" [The Team of All Time] (in Spanish). Argentine Football Association. 4 January 2016. Archived fromthe original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved29 January 2018.
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