MILAN - "Before coming to this decision to leave the game I had thought about it a lot. After the bad injury I suffered I had promised myself that I would show I could still play, which is what I did. After having returned to the pitch against Livorno and having felt the fans’ love I started thinking about it, and that perhaps leaving the game would be the right decision since I had given everything. I gave my all until the very end," stated Javier Zanetti as a guest on RaiTre’s 'Che tempo che fa', hosted by Fabio Fazio.
"There have been all kinds of displays of support, and not just from Inter fans. Now I feel relaxed. The possibility of maintaining a bond with this club is something that makes me happy," added the captain before describing his feelings before his final game. "I kept thinking how it was the last time I would do something like this; arrive at the stadium, warm up, take to the pitch… It was strange, but something nice in its own way."
Javier then recounted many anecdotes on the broadcast: the now-famous training session on the day of his wedding with Paula; the hairstyle he’s kept since childhood; the joke he played on Nagatomo; the galloping runs down the flank; the disappearance of Taribo West; the inter-religious match in September as requested by Pope Francis. "It will be a very important event; a strong message and a great opportunity to unite all religions."
"First comes your head, then your heart, then your feet," said Pupi when asked about their order of importance for a player. Sacrifice has always been a concept that was clear for Zanetti: "I saw what sacrifice meant when I was young, watching what my father and mother did for my brother. I’ve never forgotten what the word means."
Then there was a video montage of famous figures, from Fiorello to Roberto Baggio, paying tribute to the captain: "I learned so much from Baggio. I have great respect for Paolo Maldini. For Ivan Zamorano, Ivan Cordoba and all the players I had as team-mates."
Finally, he thanked the Nerazzurri fans: "Thank you for so much love and affection. You know the bond we have will never end," said the moved captain.
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