PAVIA - Two days after the operation to his Achilles tendon, Javier Zanetti is
ready to leave the Policlinico San Matteo. Before leaving the hospital, the
Nerazzurri captain spoke with reporters at a press conference.
"I’m fine. The operation has been completed and now my recovery is even
closer than before. I have to thank Dr. Benazzo, Dr. Combi and all the medical
staff of the Policlinico in Pavia who have treated me very well and have made
me comfortable here. Now the rehabilitation has already begun. I’ve received
many messages of support towards me, not only from the world of football, but
also from all over the world of sport. It’s made me incredibly happy. Even when
I went into the operating room I could hear the fans outside cheering me on,
and they even had a banner for me."
As Dr. Benazzo explained immediately after the operation, it will take six months to fully recover from the injury: "The most important thing is to stay healthy and heal well, then we’ll see how long it will take me to get back on the pitch. Work at a desk? My thoughts are on being with my team-mates, and now they’ll have one more fan. I’ll do everything to get back in action. This is the first serious injury of my career. It’s come right now. But I have the strength to look forward and the desire to return to the pitch."
The captain has received many messages, but "It wouldn’t be right to single out one in particular. The show of support in these days by so many people has been very touching and emotional," said Zanetti.
Even Francesco Totti, on his official website, sent a message to Javier ("Hey, I’ll only exchange the pennant with you"): "Francesco was very kind. We talked to each other. We’ve gone through so many battles together and I hope to continue to exchange the pennant with him. Now I’ll be right there beside my team, especially since so few games remain now and there are so many challenges ahead. I’m sorry I can’t be on the pitch to lend a hand, but I’ll be there for anything they need. It’s been a difficult end of the season for us Argentines? Not only for the Argentines, but for all of Inter. I honestly can’t remember such an unlucky season, but we’ll take note of it and move forward with confidence as we try to change this trend."
