ASUNCION – Javier Zanetti was invited to give a speech at a club licensing seminar organised by FIFA and CONMEBOL in Paraguay on Monday.
The two-day meeting in Asuncion has brought together federation, league and club representatives as well as players from across South America to outline the benefits of introducing a licensing system across the continent.
"First of all I'd like to thank FIFA for inviting me to be here – it is both a pleasure and an honour," our vice president began in his opening address.
“I stand before you today as a former player and captain of Inter and Argentina. I spent almost my entire professional career at Inter, from 1995 to 2014, making 858 appearances and scoring 21 goals. I played 145 games for my country, many of which with the captain's armband.
"I consider myself extremely lucky to have found a club like Inter, who valued me and made me feel at home.
“Now, having hung up my boots, I'm working in a new role at the club, as vice president, which comes with new responsibilities away from the field. I'm learning a lot by studying and working hard – as I always did throughout my career – and thanks to my understanding of the club's values after 19 years as a player, I'm adapting quickly. I still have a long way to go but it's an exciting challenge for me.
“So many people dream of working in football so we should consider ourselves lucky to be able to do something we love. But football and sport are changing. Football is big business nowadays and it needs to be run the right way.
“That's why I believe that FIFA's global club licensing project is a positive thing. Having good management and being able to rely on a club licensing system will bring benefits to all stakeholders in South Amerian football – clubs, leagues and players. It will help to increase competitiveness and the quality of federations.
"I began my career in South America before joining one of the biggest clubs in Europe, so I can appreciate the importance of being competitive. Winning the Champions League and doing the treble in 2010 was the pinnacle of my career.
“It would be nice to think that this initiative by FIFA could one day help South American clubs to compete with the biggest teams in the world.”
