The ten most influential captains of the modern era: Javier Zanetti

For Javier Zanetti, the captain’s armband not only commemorates his spirit as a versatile football player who can be slotted into any position on the pitch (and I mean any), but also eulogises him as a beacon of loyalty to his team’s colours.

Zanetti has cemented his stature in Italian football for nearly two decades – in a time that saw him being present in every third of the pitch for Inter Milan. The Argentine native has donned the Nerazzuri colors for over 800 appearances, most of which have come as captain of the club.

As a captain, he has lifted 15 of the 16 trophies that Inter Milan has won in his 18 years at the club. After shadowy years under Juventus and AC Milan, he was a vital player in the team that won five consecutive Serie A titles, certifying its status as the new Italian powerhouse.

With his 40^th birthday looming, the Argentine chose to best celebrate it with a contract extension at the club he adores, and in the sport that he reveres.

But a few months ago, many of the sport’s fanatics raised questions about the 39 year old’s capability to showcase the flair that has earned him adulation around the world. Why wouldn’t they?

Football in today’s modern world is quick and agile where young feet breed into multi-million assets. The aged have to find elsewhere to go, most prominently at the commentary box – describing the talents that eclipsed their very own presences on the pitch.

But this hasn’t impeded the progress of Javier Zanetti to being glorified as one of the sport’s greatest talents – even though his age could be seen as against him. Just 8 days before he turns 40, weariness isn’t anywhere to be seen in Zanetti’s skill-set – even when he goes up against quicker feet in the game.

To best demonstrate his stalwart presence at the club: 18 years ago, Zanetti made his debut in the esteemed blue and black. The number of years he has spent at the club has been as many as the managerial changes around him. This is an average of around one manager per season – a rate many would consider as ominous, with an influx of new tactics and formations.

In spite of such inconstancy around him, it has still not threatened Javier Zanetti’s place from the first team. What is more impressive is how many of those managerial changes did not displace him from his role as team captain.

What is surprising is the fact that many of Inter Milan’s stars today were not even born when Zanetti made his debut, with the current manager being three years younger. Age might have been the aversive characteristic for many of football’s venerated to quit, but Javier Zanetti was never deterred by that.

While he has seen several Inter teams reassembled around him in Milan, his ubiquity has always remained the focal point in the team. The highlight of this was when he led the rejuvenated unit around him to a historic and Italian club football’s only treble in 2010.

And yes, those who wanted answers as to whether Javier Zanetti can keep going steady despite numerous setbacks, they have it. It was predestined with hope that he would return for another glorious season as the club’s talisman. 2013-14 will mark El Capitano’s, as he is affectionately nicknamed, 19^th season in the Serie A for the Nerazzuri – a record not many legends can boast of.

But how does he do it for so long and so well?

Zanetti’s secret of success is his ability to adhere primarily to the basics. His only preoccupation is to perform day in, day out with his usual calm yet composed persona, indomitable dedication and unyielding stamina.

Moreover, his work ethic speaks volumes ahead of him. What began as an appalling rejection at the hands of Independiente for being physically inferior due to his tiny frame, Zanetti worked hard to build his muscle, train his body and was supported by a growth spurt when he was 15. Add that to the pile of working three jobs as a teen and anyone could see why this man’s rise to success is undoubtedly inspiring.

Argentina, as a nation, has a low per capita income, which exists in the promiscuity of meagre earnings and insufficient living conditions. That was precisely how Zanetti started – delivering milk, selling groceries and laying bricks – much like many of the hustling teenagers in Latin America.

At the same time, his passion for football never died, and he began showcasing his talent on a pitch in a Buenos Aires suburb. While sent out to maintain the pitch to pocket extra cash for his family, Zanetti discovered his Midas touch as a defender that would soon send scouts flocking towards him.

After a stint of spells with Tallares and Banfield, the call of European Football came beckoning at Zanetti’s doorstep. In 1995, Inter Milan signed their future captain and the man who could well be deemed irreplaceable for a meager fee.

Today, his omnipresence for Inter Milan is irrefutably priceless. Signed for an undisclosed fee back then, Zanetti’s transfer could well be described as a bargain, in return for his undeviating performances on the pitch.

Being Massimo Morrati’s first purchase at the club, Inter Milan fans first saw a glimpse of this man’s skill against Vicenza in the campaign of 1995-96. What was earlier dubbed to be a struggle to find a place in the team lineup consisting of several superstars, Zanetti made it look easy and ascended into being played as a first choice full back.

In a team star studded with the likes of Ronaldo and Christian Vieri, both of whom were signed for world record transfer fees, Zanetti was still coveting the media’s attention for his noteworthy performances on the pitch. Many could ask how the man’s quiet personage usurped the attention received by more marketable personalities.

But that is the essence of Javier Zanetti’s arsenal – trustworthy, devoted and nonchalant charisma that seeks headlines for only the right reasons. His motive is to only place stones for those around him to follow – a quintessential attribute of every influential captain in Football.

The fans in due time took to him, proclaiming him to a status of a cult-hero. Inter Milan found itself a captain for the long run who became the lantern of faithfulness, undertake and arête. As a captain, his role will always best represent for his protracted stay at Inter – far longer than any player in club history has managed.

Another true testament of Zanetti’s career has been his ability to last an entire game without tiring out. Even today, the Inter Milan captain is seen running throughout the game, roughing it out with opponents with no signs of enervation.

Incredibly, that is how he earned regular call ups to Argentinean National Team and made himself a standstill as well, in his early years in club football. While the national and club sides found it a dearth to produce full backs of his calibre, Zanetti further capitalized on his mobility to flourish in any position by being played in different roles when needed.

The coaches counted on him to thwart attacks from various counters in the first third, while at the same time, depended upon him to be the link between defence and attack.

Between 1995-1996 (the season of his debut) till the turn of the new century in 2000, Zanetti featured regularly in both domestic and European fixtures for Inter Milan, often standing out as the best player. Stats indicate that he made at least 35 appearances per season between then, catapulting himself from a status of “just any talent out there” to “THE TALENT HERE”.

Inter Milan of then was not a superpower in the Serie A, often failing to make any surge to secure the title. The organisation was enduring a dark spell, with the team nowhere as pre-eminent as today’s side. But what was elucidating to be the decline of the team still overloaded with some of the world’s best talents, it saw the rise of Javier Zanetti to the mantle he still legions over today.

In due time, he was made captain, taking over reigns from Guiseppe Bergomi. Since then, Zanetti has played in seasons where he has made over 50 appearances, the lowest of which was 34. Only in retrospect to his achievements, is 34 subpar standard for the Argentine.

However, when he tore his Achilles tendon shortly after making his 110th appearance for the club, a lot doubted if his career could have prolonged as long it did. But as always as it has been, his never say die mentality to keep fighting did pay off then, and he was swiftly returned back to action.

Massimo Moratti’s best buy as owner of Inter, arguably, has been Javier Zanetti, but to follow that was Jose Mourinho. Under the tutelage of the Portuguese, Inter Milan was back amongst the elite in Europe.

The highlight of this culminated in the Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in 2010 – a game Mourinho won with his mind through Zanetti’s marvel of litheness. The duo forged a partnership that trademarked Inter’s dominance in Italy and Europe.

Desperation was prevailing at its highest in seasons before that, when fans called for the team to win in Europe. Inter failed to progress through the knockout stages and had to deal with the unceremonious exits handed to them in a row by English oppositions. The blue side of Milan was relegating itself to being ushered out of the competition by much younger oppositions.

That wasn’t the case in 2010 where Zanetti was upbeat in shackling quicker feet than him with his invincible reading of the game, thereby setting the right tone for those around to only follow in his footsteps. Players at Inter needed someone to look up to and they needn’t have looked too far to see Zanetti constantly lunging in tackles, running every minute of the game and pushing himself to conquer his opponent.

He not only shut out the likes of Robben and Ribery in the final but was unshakably crucial in the semifinal victory over a Barcelona team peaking in form with the sans peril triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. Not only did a much younger opposition find it difficult to surge past Zanetti but were trying to cope up with his vision that set up attacks for goals to seal both the ties.

Over the next three years, Juventus and cross city rivals, AC Milan, initiated challenges back to the title with Inter being displaced to the peripheries of top 4. Lacklustre has been the team’s performances since then with many players being shipped in and out of the first team, except one.

We all know that “one” – yes, the very “one” for over 18 years and 800 appearances.

A long time ago, Inter and Massimo Morrati handed its first check to sign Javier Zanetti. Little did anybody including the player himself expect that check to be the smartest yet most valuable handed out in football’s recent memory.

Adelmar is his middle name; Javier is his first – both of which are keyed in modern football as the ones that pretext the name on his back. Yes, the name on his back which we have seen for years that have gone, and the years that will come. The name that is synonymous with devotion, dedication and distinction.

Influential is a term rightfully quantified by consistency and durability, and Javier Zanetti’s role as captain surely has been influential.