MILAN - Inter captain Javier Zanetti presented his autobiography 'Giocare da uomo' (Play like a man) in an interview with Marco Franzelli during Saturday night's TG1 news programme.
inter.it offers you the full transcript of the skipper's interview:
Zanetti, tell us about the title. What does 'Play like a man' mean?
"It means playing with lots of ideals, playing fairly and wanting to leave the people who are watching with a lasting memory."
In Andre Agassi's autobiography, he ends up hating tennis. In yours you tell us about your love for football. What's the difference?
"I love football, it's always been my passion. In this book I go through my whole story, what I felt when I first started chasing the ball and all the sacrifices I've made to achieve something important."
What was the most useful sacrifice?
"Following my parents' advice when I was a boy. Studying and then doing what I enjoyed and chasing the dream which led me to become what I am today. I wouldn't call it a sacrifice, but the desire to do something that made me happy."
You worked as a bricklayer with your dad. Was that a good training exercise?
"It was a life lesson. Working alongside my dad and seeing the sacrifices he made helped me to deal with everything that came along later in life in the right way."
And in 1995 along came Inter...
"I couldn't believe it at the start. I was just starting out in Argentina and Italian football seemed so far away. Having the opportunity to play in such a major league was a test for me and I jumped at the chance because I knew I could start writing my future at a big club like Inter. I realised that when I arrived in Milan and saw the fans, when Massimo Moratti met me in his office and on that stormy day at Terrazza Martini where Bergomi and Facchetti were waiting for me. I realised that I was starting a whole new life."
Twenty years with Inter. A happy marriage that has yet to see a crisis. How's that?
"It's a never-ending love story and I think it always will be. I'll always be grateful to the Moratti family and the fans for everything they've given me since day one. Inter is another family for me and I really do love it."
So what made you fall in love with Inter?
"We're a big family, for better and for worse. When we weren't winning the trophies that everyone expected us to we maintained our pride and dignity. That's how we kept going and in the end the results came."
In your book you say the best thing about football is the players. Do you really think that?
"Yes, I do. We make lots of mistakes but you keep your integrity and dignity and that inspires you to be a success on the pitch."
Let's find a definition for the different coaches you've had, starting with Roberto Mancini.
"It was with him that we began our winning cycle. He did a magnificent job."
Marco Tardelli.
"It was a tough year with him. We lost the derby 6-0 and it was never going to work after that..."
But in the book you say Tardelli was the worst.
"I don't know if he really was the worst. He's the one I felt least close to."
Marcello Lippi.
"The club gave him everything possible to create a great team but unfortunately it didn't happen. It wasn't just his fault, but it was a very complicated year."
What did you think when he said that thing about kicks in Reggio Calabria?
"It annoyed me. I don't think it was fair on the team. You can make mistakes but there are other ways to make people realise it wasn't the right way of doing things."
Hector Cuper.
"I was really sad about how his time at Inter came to an end. He was very professional and very good at his job. He paid the price for 5 May."
Andrea Agnelli said that Serie A has become a transit destination and the top players go elsewhere now. Do you agree?
"Times have changed. In the past the top players used to come to Italy; we live in a different world now. But I don't think it's quite like he paints it because Serie A is still the most difficult league and has retained its appeal. We make sure it stays at the top."
Give your career a mark out of 10. Would you stick with the 7.5 you gave it in the book?
Yes, I've had an important career, spent playing for a team that has a great history. I've had the privilege of wearing the captain's armband and realising lots of dreams. For all those things I thank everyone who has been close to me."
What mark would you give Walter Mazzarri's Inter after these first few outings?
"7.5 or 8. It's the start of a new journey with a very capable coach who knows exactly what he wants. I think if we keep going the way we are, Inter can start challenging at the top again."
Can Inter win the title?
"It's too early to say but we need to be as consistent as possible all the way till the end. It's possible that we might be able to challenge for it."
Who does Walter Mazzarri remind you of?
"He's a bit like Cuper in the dedication he puts into his work and the way he is during games. He's very careful about all the details. I think he's a coach who makes you work really hard but then come Sunday you see the results."
Cesare Prandelli said that youngsters are finding it hard in Italy because they lack personality. Do you agree?
"In some cases, yes. This is a job that requires an awful lot of work. I think a young player needs to be prepared and must have the strength and self-awareness to be able to make it at a big club. And when he makes mistakes they must help him to grow."
Massimiliano Allegri said that footballers set an example and strange hairstyles and earrings aren't what's needed...
"I agree. We must understand that we set an example for so many kids who see us as idols. We must give them an image that helps them to aspire to something important."
In your book you say that Mario Balotelli swings between being a great player and a world-class player. When will he settle?
"I think he needs to find the right balance and I hope he does. Mario has tremendous talent but he needs to stay calm and do what he knows how to do. We've spoken lots of times. He listened to me but he's at an age where you keep making mistakes. Once you realise you're making them then you can start to grow."
You define Balotelli as a jazz player of football because he improvises. Is that a quality or a defect?
"It's definitely a quality. He's one of those players who can come up with a matchwinner at any moment. AC Milan need him and Italy certainly need him with the World Cup approaching."
Did it upset you when he threw his Inter shirt to the floor?
"Yes, because that's not something you do. But afterwards he realised he'd made a mistake. I didn't say anything to him when it happened because there wasn't time to explain certain things to him. He apologised in the dressing room and it ended there."
What makes José Mourinho different to the others?
"Mourinho has a huge personality, both as a coach and a man. He's a winner who works on every last detail. The two years he spent with us will remain in the hearts of Interisti forever."
Can you tell us a story about him?
"When we were losing 1-0 in Kiev and were virtually out of the Champions League in the year we went on to win it, he told us in the dressing room at half time that we'd have to go full out and throw all caution to the wind. He took off two defenders and brought on two attackers and we won. But he said it with such firm conviction that when we stepped out on the field again we already knew that it was going to happen."
Is Rudi Garcia similar to José Mourinho?
"I don't know him and I can't judge. He's a very capable coach."
Are you surprised to see Roma top of the league?
"No, they have excellent players and a set-up that has enabled them to perform as consistently as they have. They deserve to be top."
Antonio Conte has spoken about 'the rumble of their enemies'. Do Juventus have a lot of enemies?
"All successful teams have enemies. I think it's normal that everyone wants to beat a team that has been winning for years."
When you got injured, Francesco Totti sent you a message saying he hoped to see you on the opposite team again soon.
"I hope so too. Francesco is brilliant and I'm glad he's going through such a great spell. We met before Inter v Roma and he asked me how I was. He was one of the first to call me after my injury. It was nice to see that he was one of the first to offer me his support."
What's the secret of guys like you who have such long careers?
"A love for the game and the desire to help the club and our team-mates."
How much of a blow was it to miss the 2010 World Cup when then-coach Diego Maradona didn't pick you?
"It was a tough time for the way it was handled. I think I deserved to go because I'd been in the team the whole way until the last two friendlies. But I hold no grudges, that's football: I'm fine with it because I did everything I needed to be there, but ultimately it wasn't up to me. But Argentina will always be a part of me, I've always very proudly defended the shirt. I'll always have very happy memories. As a kid I dreamed of playing once for the national team and I played more than 140 times."
Soon Massimo Moratti might no longer be Inter president. Would you be sad for him?
"I believe that even if he wasn't president any longer, he'd still always be Inter. Because his family have shown so much love for this team, he has given so much to this club, just as his father did. The president has an unbelievable bond with this shirt, I'm very close to him as a person."
But football's changing: Massimo Moratti has passion, but now people talk more about business. That's a big change.
"We're living in a different situation, you need to make tough choices to keep going but they help the club to survive."
And that goes for Inter too...
"Yes, but Inter is a big family. Thanks to the Morattis."
You talk about how you spoke to the Champions League trophy. How did that go?
"It went brilliantly. When the match finished and after the celebrations, when I brought the trophy into the dressing room, I put it on the ground and said to it: 'I've been chasing you for ages and now you're in my arms.' It was one of the most emotional moments of my career as I realised the significance of the achievement. I was already emotional when I came out to warm up with my team-mates and saw the stands full and then when the fourth official announced the amount of added time I looked at Samuel and we started to cry: we were winning 2-0 and at worst we'd have won 2-1. Samuel told me to wait though as there were still three minutes to go. It was also amazing to come to San Siro at 6 in the morning with the stadium full and waiting for us. Having the privilege of wearing the captain's armband and making the fans so happy was something unforgettable."
At the Club World Cup you put the trophy in one corner and everyone ran towards it...
"We always do that. That was also an important moment, there were lots of fans there and my family too. That night I wore a T-shirt with Samuel on the back, as he had got injured a few days earlier. But it was right that he was with us at least like that."
You're a very religious person, aren't you?
"Yes, and my family are also devout Catholics. It gives you lessons for life."
Give us your thoughts on your meeting with Pope Francis...
"First of all it was amazing to see a fellow countryman as pope. One of the first calls I got was from Moratti, it was a very happy time. Bergoglio is a very simple man, talking to him about a number of issues and problems there are in the world was a unique experience. Plus he's a San Lorenzo fan and he apparently has a museum with all the sporting memorabilia he's been given, which includes a shirt of mine. Did I say anything to him? No, he asked me how I was and about the history of Inter."
Did he also remind you that you as players are an example?
"Yes, above all when he speaks you can tell he's humble and he can convey certain feelings in a simple way. This is what I like about him."
You've got lots of nicknames, which is your favourite?
"I like Pupi the most because it's the name of my foundation. Everyone knows me as that."
Is your foundation a rewarding commitment for you?
"Yes. Every time we go back to Argentina we see these kids are always making progress. We have this wonderful responsibility, I thank the Italian people for being behind me on every initiative, because they realise that in many parts of the world there are problems and children who need help. Those who are in a position to help really need to feel they can do so."
Which decision changed your life?
"Life is all about making choices, coming to Italy changed my life."
People say behind every great man there's a great woman. Does that go for you too?
"Yes, that goes for me too. I don't think I'd have been able to do everything I've done without Paula."
And your biggest mistake?
"I've made plenty. When you realise them, they help you to grow as a person."
A dinner to make peace with an enemy: who would you choose?
"I don't know if I have any, it's not nice to call someone an enemy. I could go to dinner with anyone, even if we see things differently."
A song you love?
"'Più bella cosa' by Eros Ramazzotti makes me feel good. And the line 'Grazie di esistere' ('Thanks for existing') applies to Inter too."
When will you return to action?
"Soon, I hope. I'm in the final phase of a long spell on the sidelines but we're nearly there."
For more than one match?
"I hope so."
And then become a coach?
"No, I'd like to have a role upstairs. Just as long as it's with Inter, to lead like a man."
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