Inter's captain interviewed
Photo: Paul Fenech
Inter captain Javier Zanetti's dream at the outset of his long and illustrious football career was to follow in the footsteps of other Argentine greats who enjoyed success in the Italian Serie A.
"Yes... my dream was to establish myself here (in Italy)," Zanetti said in an exclusive interview to be published in tomorrow's The Sunday Times.
"I believe that for us (Argentinians), Italian football is the most important football in the world and to have this possibility, this challenge at 21 years of age, it was very important for me."
In the interview, the 38-year-old Zanetti, Inter's most-capped player, talks about his childhood, his loyalty to Inter, the high and low points of his career and his charity work for the PUPI Foundation.
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Joe Bugelli
Nov 27th 2011, 17:46
@ Antoine Calleja - even Moggi was not the club, he was a club official. In Italy that is how it is. Besides the official even the club he is responsible for has to pay. Referring to just one case I mentioned, if you make an honest find out you will get to know that Don Revie was referred to by many as being a matchfixer. He never sued anybody. So while in England they let things go, in Italy it is a completely different story. Check for yourself the reason behind his resignation from England Manager. And as for the 1966 WC. Facts speak for themselves.No explanations at all. Just because no one was found guilty or suspended that does not mean anything at all. Finally, corrupt practices in sport always existed. Then there are those, like ITALIA who make an ongoing investigation and analysis, no matter what , and there are others who keep living in denial, no transperency at all. Unlike you ( it seems ) I definitely prefer the first scenario !
Joe Bugelli
Nov 27th 2011, 09:47
@ Antoine Calleja - and what kind of authority are you to declare that football in England is serious. But whenever something there crops up ( ask Don Revie, Grobelaar or recently a Rooney's relative etc etc ) it is made fast to be forgotten like we say in maltese " nixhtuha taht it-tapit " ! Not like Italians with their daily football programmes / papers ( and unlike your " serious England " ) continuously " jonxru l-hwejjeg barra " , creating storms in a teacup ! I am not a Milan supporter, but what you refer to against Leeds relates to a single game. Milan were a great side and maybe on the day were favoured. Unlike your beloved serious ENGLAND. Their only success in the World Cup remains very much doubtful, due to the continuous support they received in the WHOLE competition ( 1 ) Continuous strange decisions by referees favouring England ( 2 ) the sudden change of venue in the semifinal match between England and Portugal and above ALL ( 3 ) two extra time goals ( Yes, two ! ) that should have NEVER been allowed in the final against Germany. And that was not an episode, but a whole tournament from START to FINISH ! I support ITALIA and all Italian teams when playing internationally. But above all I love watching good football, be it Italian, Spanish, English ! Finally, to get a bit " serious " ENGLAND opted for a very serious manager and his staff to take hold of their national team. Still it did not work, and nobody is talking about Capello not being serious. Perhaps he is TOO serious !
Antoine Calleja
Nov 27th 2011, 15:08
@Joe Bugelli - Was anyone found guily or suspended after the 1966 world cup? As regards don Revie, Rooney, Grobbelaar etc, these were individual players and not the Club they played for. That is, what they did WAS NOT ENDORSED by teir respective clubs. Otherwise it will be good to mention Paolo Rossi who was sent to prsion and just before the 1982 world cup was released earlier. He was eventually instrumental for Italy. Anyway for me the mere fact that you did not deny what I said earlier is enough to confirm that I was right. Anyway now look into the future and forget the corrupt past - get a life!!
Frank Scicluna
Nov 27th 2011, 04:24
There can only be one conclusion about all this. Italian football is corrupt to the core! So sad
Antoine Calleja
Nov 26th 2011, 21:30
I am not a follower of Italian Football. But I would like to point out that fooball in Italy has long been marred with corruption: AC Milan in 1973 won the Cup Winners' Cup against Leeds in doubious manner (the referee was suspended for life after the match and Mlan gave him a ROLEX Watch). AC Milan AGAIN were found guilty in 1982. And in the 2006 Calciopoli AC Milan were ONCE AGAIN found guilty, had point deducted...but somehow were given back the points to climb to 4th place and eventually won the 2007 Champoins' League. So the club that boasts that they are the most decorated club in the world .....ah....we know why!!. My advice is forget te past and try to be honest and serious like it is in England,
Joseph N. Attard
Nov 26th 2011, 23:56
@Antoine Calleja. Your posting about the Milan-Leeds game brought back memories of the time I used to follow football. Then, I was a Leeds fan, and was bitterly disappointed at the corrupt way Milan won that game, and the vile conduct of that referee (Rolex watch? there was talk of a villa on Lago Maggiore). Gradually, I lost all interest, and rarely do I watch any games now, though I still like English football. I suspect many others have been put off football in general because of the strong whiff of corruption all over.
Mr christine Formosa
Nov 26th 2011, 20:00
To all ...... be sport ...... we are talking of sport
John Catania
Nov 26th 2011, 18:46
Chi non salta bianconero e'..e'.....INNOCENT UNTIL PROVED GUILTY.....get a life you all!!!!
M Mamo
Nov 26th 2011, 19:17
Innocent until proven guilty? you mean PRESCRITTI until proven guilty right? because thats what the sentence said!
And if you heard the Napoli sentence it would read that Moggi is GUILTY ... Juventus ASSOLTI! i.e. Juventus innocent :D
Karl Grech
Nov 27th 2011, 01:39
@M Mamo
Yes of course Juve are innocent. Moggi acted on his own accord and Juve knew nothing about his "cupola". He financed the whole thing himself and coincidentally ordered "favours" for Juve, controlled the transfer market, etc etc. But of course Juve knew nothing.
Also, if Juve were really innocent, what about getting damages out of Moggi instead of the "we hate Inter and want 470 million euro" crusade??????
Joseph Borg
Nov 26th 2011, 18:43
There is only one statement that one can say : Inter are the only team in Italian football history that won the main 3 competitions in one season : Champions League,Italian League and the Italian Cup. Furthermore, Inter are the only team that has never played in the Serie "B'. These are facts and nobody can deny them.
M Mamo
Nov 26th 2011, 18:58
let me tell you more facts - in 1922 Inter came LAST in Group A of Serie A ... that year FIGC removed Group from Serie A - that is the difference between relegated in the pitch and relegated on an FIGC table!!
Well done for being so happy about a treble (with a useless cup which your president called the Coppa Dell'Amicizia - that is the Coppa Italia) ... now to burst your bubble:
Juventus became the first club in the history of European football to have won all three major competitions organised by the Union of European Football Associations: the European Champions' Cup, the (now-defunct) Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Cup (the first Italian and Southern European side to win the tournament). After their triumph in the Intercontinental Cup the same year, the club also became the first in football history—and remain the only one at present—to have won all possible confederation competitions and the club world title.
BEAT THAT!
c. saliba
Nov 26th 2011, 18:59
U l-unici preskritti ukoll!!!
R Galea
Nov 26th 2011, 20:03
ehe.... meta kellkom il Moggi!! beaten dude!!!!
Daniel Camilleri
Nov 26th 2011, 21:17
Well if you go into history you will learn that before the season started figc decided to remove the groups and that the last of each group will play a decider and who losses get demoted. Inter won that decider so Inter were never relegated in accordance to the rules. Also in order that everyone is well informed that season there was another Italian football association and after the season ended they agreed to merge. There were some deciders to decide which teams to play in the serie A. Inter won also these deciders and never got relegated.
M Mamo
Nov 26th 2011, 18:29
Internazionale .. the name says it all, and some think they represent Italy ...
JUVE represent Italy ... hence why half the National Team is Italian ... hence why France vs Italy World Cup Final had 11 Juventus players ... hence why Italy is full of youths and older players who played/trained with Juve!
Forza Vecchia Signora! l'unica squadra imbattuta nella Serie A!
Marianne Tabone
Nov 26th 2011, 18:40
Hear!! Hear!!
omar sciberras
Nov 26th 2011, 21:33
Kemm sejjer zball lanqas nofs it team ta l italja ma kien tal Juventus
omar sciberras
Nov 26th 2011, 21:45
Kemm sejjer zball ghandu xorti kien hemm nofshom fl starting line up u trid tara l storja ta team ghalfejn beda
Philip Hili
Nov 28th 2011, 11:58
@M Mamo
This question should be made to Macello Lippi!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Borg
Nov 26th 2011, 18:09
This year his age is showing!
J. Vella
Nov 26th 2011, 21:52
At a younger age other players stay on the bench......
Mr Lawrence Calleja
Nov 26th 2011, 17:21
Inter are ruining Italian Serie A football.
Joseph Fenech
Nov 26th 2011, 17:45
I really don't see the point of your comment. In what way is this happening? Because last year it was the only team that represented Italian Serie A in UEFA Champions League Quater Final? Because two years ago was the team that won the Champion League? So please stop being jelaus, and pay some respect to a great player that unlike his age he plays like a 20 year old player
charlo pace
Nov 26th 2011, 18:11
I total agree with mr calleja .Inter want all to believe they are the virgins of italian football and are victims but recent findings prove otherwise. PRESCRITTI
andrew brincat
Nov 26th 2011, 18:11
@joseph fenech
inter were only capable to win in a competitionless legaue and at the same they won CL coz they had murinhio.. once these two factors are gone they are again a bunch of loosers as they were b4 winning nothing in 15yrs. juve are not jealous of inter coz juves track record 100 times better than that of inter.
Kenneth Brincat
Nov 26th 2011, 18:22
Get a life!
Marcus Iwanik
Nov 26th 2011, 18:41
@ andrew brincat.
If inter won the Champions league "because of Mourinho"then good luck to them for obtaining his services. Your argument is so silly, it means Argentina only won the world cup because they had Maradona or Brazil won the World Cup because they had Pele. IF you have a superior person in your squad you use him to his best, and Inter in hiring Mournho did so, I sense jealousy...and no Im not an inter supporter.
John Catania
Nov 26th 2011, 18:54
would you mind gettin more into detail and explain your point of view. by the way, Moggi, who gave Italian football the worst image in history, worked for Juve not Inter just in case you are confused.
M Mamo
Nov 26th 2011, 19:00
as marcus said ... Juventus are jealous for Inter because the latter are fighting the relegation zone and the first are top of the league ... seriously?
R Galea
Nov 26th 2011, 20:08
Mamo qed johlom li qeghdin fic Champions League nahseb ukoll!!
Mr Lawrence Calleja
Nov 26th 2011, 20:10
Well, let us start by saying that Inter won their first serie A title after a 15 year spell of a flop, only when they managed to relegate Juventus to Serie B. In fact even after Juve were relegated and than back to serie A, look at the score between Juve and Inter. In the majority of these games Juve won against Inter. If it was not the Juve relegation issue which to say the truth was based on unfounded claims, Inter would have not had Ibrahimovic who was the number 1 player in Italy and would not have had the after victories. Juventus were relegated unjustly and this whole issue was orchestrated by a corrupt Inter. So in a nutshell Inter are ruining the Italian Serie A football. Know the history before you speak.
R Galea
Nov 27th 2011, 01:36
this is not history... this is just your opinion... you juve fans can never deal with the reality of having been demoted... you keep on using all sorts of excuses and word manipulations... and despite that you continue to believe that juve is totally innocent (even though the juve federation had been subject to heavy investigations), you easily point your fingers at a "corrupt" inter... can't understand this attitude! poor juve fans... must have been really painful for you!
Alan Agius
Nov 28th 2011, 13:22
Maybe you have been living under a rock, but do you remember who Moggi is and worked for? Well, Luciano Moggi did get life ban from football and a recommendation to the FIGC president that he be banned for life from membership of the FIGC at any level.
Juventus were relegated unjustly? please this is naive!