MILAN – "Being part of the Nerazzurri family is a milestone, a mark of excellence. It forces you to shout Forza Inter with passion, but without rage."
These words – spoken by Inter legend Giacinto Facchetti – seem made for another Nerazzurri icon: Javier Zanetti. Who knows what praise the greatest No.3 ever to don the black and blue of Inter must have had for Zanetti once it became clear that the Argentine was the heir to Facchetti’s throne.
Without knowing it, Facchetti had perfectly encapsulated the man that would patrol the San Siro turf for many successful years in the 1990s and 2000s. The man that would shake hands with the opposing captain before every game. Just like Facchetti himself used to do: with passion, but without rage.
Even at the beginning of his career, back in his native Argentina, Zanetti’s performances were sprinkled with stardust. His breakthrough came at Club Atletico Banfield, whose white and green colours have been a fixture in the south of Buenos Aires since 1896. It proved to be the perfect place for Zanetti to hone his trade, as yet unaware that fate would soon see him swap white and green for black and blue.
Zanetti stood out from the crowd for the passion he showed on the pitch. Yet it was a passion never muddied with rage, unlike the stereotype many of us have come to associate with Argentine football at domestic and international level.
Soon he was playing for his country, winning a total of 145 caps over the course of his career. Zanetti is Argentina’s most-capped player by far – and the record looks destined to last for many years to come.
Juventus have their legends too, of course. For the Bianconeri fans, a No.10 on their black and white shirt shirts means only one thing: Alessandro Del Piero.
The striker shook hands with Zanetti before kick-off in the Derby d’Italia countless times over the years. It became a sight synonymous with the match: Zanetti versus Del Piero, Nerazzurri versus Bianconeri.
While Zanetti was the icon of Inter for years, the same can undoubtedly be said of the celebrated Juventus No.10.
Del Piero represented only one other club in Italy – Padova. The Veneto-based outfit has been the starting point for several big names, including Angelo Di Livio and Demetrio Albertini. It was at Padova that Del Piero developed a burning passion for the game of football and learned the importance of dedication and respect for the shirt.
It was these values that helped nurture the closest of bonds between Del Piero and the Bianconeri fans of Turin. And while Del Piero has nothing to do with the black and blue of Inter, the way the great No.10 played the game was just as Facchetti had once described it: with passion, but without rage.
That simple gesture – the pre-match handshake between Alessandro Del Piero and Javier Zanetti – now belongs to other times. Yet it will forever be a mark of excellence, a reminder of the greatness of two men.
Bruno Bottaro
