1998

Javier Zanetti’s early career saw him play for Talleres and Banfield in Argentina, before he moved to Europe in 1995, joining Internazionale. In Milan he established himself as a regular at both right-back and left-back, earning the nickname El Tractor for his consistency and exceptional fitness levels.

Just three years after signing for the club, he helped Inter to the UEFA Cup trophy, scoring his club’s second in the 3-0 victory against Lazio in the 1998 Final.

2010

In 2010, Javier Zanetti led Internazionale to the most successful season in their history. Domestically, Inter won their 5th Serie A title in a row, before also lifting the Coppa Italia. The 2010 Champions League Final was the pinnacle of Zanetti’s career, as the Argentinian made his 700th career appearance, before lifting the trophy to complete an unprecedented treble.

After a record 19 seasons, his iconic status at Inter was confirmed by the club retiring the Number 4 shirt in his honour.

2005

Javier Zanetti won 16 trophies at Internazionale, 15 of which came after he was appointed club captain in late 2001. One of his most impressive achievements was leading the club to a famous double in 2005-06, winning both the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.

Now at the mid-point in his career, Zanetti’s excellent stamina and technical ability allowed him to adapt to playing as a midfielder, a position he would excel in for the remainder of his career.

	YEAR	RTG	POS	PAC	SHO	PAS	DRI	DEF	PHY
BASE	1998	87	LB	88	59	82	80	83	80
MID	2010	88	RB	83	61	85	82	87	80
PRIME	2005	92	RB	86	63	88	85	90	81