Soccer: Zanetti says it’s time to leave
P(ANSA) – Milan, May 6 – Soccer’s Javier Zanetti’s remarkable stint at Inter Milan is winding down, with the 41-year-old fullback preparing for his final two games before moving into a management post with the club.BR”I feel that it is the time, I feel complete,” Zanetti, who will play his last home game on Saturday, said in an interview with the Argentine newspaper La Nacion Tuesday. He added that he felt satisfied to continue to maintain a role – albeit in a new position – with his Serie A club. “In the new role of executive, I’ll try to be helpful to the club, off the field,” said Zanetti. Asked if that means he will shift his dress style from cleats to a shirt and tie, he quipped: “I hope that will not be necessary”.BRSince joining the club in 1995, he set records for playing more matches than any other Inter player, and helped the club to win five Serie A titles and four Italian Cups, in addition to the 1998 UEFA CUP, when he scored in a 3-0 win over Lazio in the final, and the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2010.BRBut Zanetti was plagued last year with an Achilles tendon injury, which contributed to his decision to make this season his last.BRIt is rare for professional footballers to keep playing after they approach 40, especially if they are outfield players.BRIt is a little more common for goalkeepers, who have a position that is less physically demanding.BRZanetti, known to be an exemplary professional and gentleman, both on and off the field, has also been known as Argentina’s most-capped player, having made 145 international appearances.BRYet he has not ever forgotten his tough childhood in Buenos Aires and has established his own foundation, Fundacion PUPI, which runs an array of initiatives that give poor children access to food and education, and helps families to provide for themselves.BR/P
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