Javier Zanetti Appearances Record
The vice-president of Inter Milan and a club legend with 858 appearances and 16 trophies.
Javier Adelmar Zanetti (Spanish: [xaˈβjeɾ aðelˈmaɾ saˈneti], Italian: [dzaˈnetti]; born 10 August 1973) is an Argentine former professional footballer. Spending nearly all his career at Inter Milan, Zanetti was known for his versatility and adeptness, often playing as full-back or wing-back on both flanks, and as a midfielder. He had a key role in the treble-winning 2009–10 season, and he is currently the vice-president of Inter Milan.
- Role
- Right-Back / Midfielder
- Club
- Inter Milan
- Nationality
- Argentine
- Record Type
- Most Official Appearances
- Tenure Start
- 1995
- Tenure End
- 2014
- Shirt Number
- 4
Lore & Background
Zanetti started his career in Argentina, first with Talleres, and then Banfield. From 1995 to 2014 he played for Italian club Inter Milan and was captain from 2001 until his retirement in 2014. Having participated in 1,115 official games, he is on the list of men's footballers with the most official appearances. He is also the foreign player with the most appearances in Serie A (615), and holds the fourth-most appearances in the league, behind only Gianluigi Buffon, Paolo Maldini and Francesco Totti. He holds the record for the most appearances in the history of Inter (858), as well as the record for the most trophies won with the club, with 16; five Scudetti, four Coppa Italia, four Supercoppa Italiana, one UEFA Cup, one Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. He also has the most appearances as captain in the Champions League (82).
In Their Own Story
The lights at San Siro hummed quietly that evening in May 2014. The air was thick with emotion, heavier than any trophy night before it. Zanetti walked onto the pitch for his final match against Genoa, wearing the blue and black stripes one last time. He didn't need to speak; the roar of the crowd told him everything. As he jogged toward midfield, the weight of nineteen seasons settled on his shoulders—not as a burden, but as an honor.
Reader's Guide
With the Argentina national team, Zanetti played in 145 games, a figure that makes him the player with the joint-third most appearances in the history of La Albiceleste, having formerly held the record from 2007 to 2018. With Argentina he reached the final of the Copa América in 2004 and 2007, and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1995 and 2005. On retiring, Inter Milan retired Zanetti's number 4 jersey and named him as its vice president. He has been named an ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages project in Argentina by FIFA, and in 2005 he received the Ambrogino d'Oro award from the city of Milan for his social initiatives. Zanetti is also a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics.
Did You Know?
- Zanetti joined Inter Milan in 1995 and played until 2014, spanning 19 seasons.
- He served as club captain from 2001 to 2014, a total of 13 years.
- Inter Milan retired his number 4 jersey upon his retirement.
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