(Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
During his Inter career, current captain Javier Zanetti has occupied almost every position on the field. When he finally hangs up his boots, he will also be occupying a position for the
Nerazzurri off the field, as the
Corriere dello Sport are reporting that the Argentine will be named Vice President of the club when he retires.
President Massimo Moratti is keen on integrating the captain into the Inter brass, a common practice in the footballing world. Clubs try to keep ties to their influential players and perhaps no current player is more influential than Javier Zanetti. At almost 40 years of age, achieved countless accolades and been through it all.
This is his 18th season with the
Nerazzurri, tallying an astonishing 803 appearances in all competitions for the Italian giants. That’s an average of almost 45 games per season, which is a testament to the Argentinian’s endurance and willingness to play through it all. He was capped 145 times for his country before retiring in 2011 which makes him by far the most-capped player the South American side has ever fielded.
The 5-time Serie A winner is also a member of the FIFA 100, a list compiled by Pele in 2004 commemorating who he believed to be the one hundred greatest living footballers. Zanetti is in truly elite company and could even parlay a managerial career after getting some front office experience.
It seems almost unfathomable, but it’s possible that Zanetti could mean more to Inter in the front office rather than on the field. World Cup winner and Milan legend Leonardo acted as a scout/agent based out of his home country for the
Rossoneri. Leonardo was recognized for being a major cog in sealing the signatures of Kaka and Alexandre Pato. The former became a San Siro favorite and Ballon d’Or winner while the latter still possesses other-worldly potential should he be able to stay off the trainer’s table.
While Zanetti may not occupy the scout/agent role that Leonardo did, his network across Argentina will be expansive. Young Argentinian footballers likely grew up idolizing the man known as “
Pupi” in his home country, and the allure of working with an idol is immense. It’s no surprise that surprise that Inter have seven Argentinians on their books because playing with one of the best players your country has ever produced is awe-inspiring.
Look for Inter to be major players when players such as Eduardo Salvio, Erik Lamela, and Juan Manuel Iturbe become available after inevitably establishing themselves as superstars. While Zanetti has been instrumental in Inter’s on-field successes for the better part of two decades, adding him to the front office will allow the club to reap even more benefits from
Il Capitano.
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