APPIANO GENTILE – Superman. Bionic man. Someone who should be cloned. Just some of the terms used to describe Javier Zanetti, a man lauded for his energy, his physique, his 'indestructibleness'. The skipper smiled as he revealed his secret on Prima Serata: "Nature... all nature... Nature and my parents, who passed these traits on to me. And I'll add that hard work pays off in the end."
Looking to the immediate future, Zanetti explained what his and the team's targets are: "The first thing is for us to be challenging at the top again. Then as we reach the run-in we'll hopefully be in with a shout of winning."
There were a couple of surprise phone calls in store for the
captain. The first was from Cholo, Diego Pablo Simeone, who
began with: "Pupi, I'm very fond of you, you know that,
and I admire you greatly for everything you keep doing at Inter."
Javier returned the compliment: "We all knew, from the way he
played football, that Cholo would go on to become a top coach. He has
a lot to give to the game. He's a winner, a guy who never gives up.
We're friends, I know his family too, and of course it's really nice
to get those compliments from him." The conversation continued and
Simeone fast-forwarded a few months to a potential meeting in the
Europa League final: "It would be great to meet as opponents in
Amsterdam..." The captain heartily agreed.
Gigi Simoni was next on the line. The former Inter coach greeted Javier with a "Ciao fenomeno!" before continuing: "You're the real phenomenon at Inter, with your enthusiasm. You've always been someone you could rely on. You deserve your popularity with the fans and the respect of your fellow professionals." Again, Javier was quick to return the praise: "Simoni is unique, a person I'm very fond of and whom I hold in high regard. Everyone in that Inter team of his - a smashing bunch of lads - had a fantastic relationship with him."
In an hour's time, at 20:00, you can read another sneak preview of Javier Zanetti's interview with Roberto Scarpini
