Stories, anecdotes and feelings experienced during a career, and especially during the nearly 20 years of fighting for Inter. This is the underlying theme of ‘Giocare da uomo’, the autobiography of captain Javier Zanetti written in collaboration with journalist Gianni Riotta. An entire chapter in the book is specifically devoted to the coach that Pupi made it to the top of Europe and the world together with: José Mourinho, of course. A relationship that began with a phone call in a crowded airport, Fiumicino in Rome.
Zanetti reveals: “I was in my own thoughts, during those days the headlines were covered with rumors of Roberto Mancini’s farewell. I didn’t seek confirmation of these rumors, I have a habit of ignoring gossip and news unless it becomes official. (…) When I’m in the terminal and reflect on the upcoming season, the phone rings. I’m about to leave and have no great desire to respond. Moreover it is ‘unknown number’ on the phone. (…) Then I answer reluctantly, ‘Yes?’. The voice on the other end of the phone is strong, firm and very polite, as if it were a press conference that was broadcast live all over the world rather than a mobile phone. ‘I’m José Mourinho. Look, I’m at Inter’s headquarters. I ‘m your new coach. I apologize that I don’t speak Italian very well yet, I’ve only been studying it for three weeks, I’m learning, you will see that before Christmas, I will speak it well. You’ll be my captain. We will have the opportunity to meet in person, but I wanted it to be me, and no one else, that would be the first to tell you that I’m your coach.”
The captain continued: “Since I was a little guy, until the summer of 2008, I have had a lot of coaches who were good or less good, tough and polite, winners and losers, fatherly and helpful, but no one has ever called, without having known each other, to introduce himself and say: ‘I am happy to work with you. ‘ A new way to work, direct, I immediately liked that. ‘ Mister,’ I replied, as people passed by around me, seeing the mobile phone and trying to steal the news of Inter’s training bench, ‘Thanks for your call, I appreciate it very much, it makes me happy. If you still have time for a chat, I can tell you…’ ‘I’m listening Zanetti.’ ‘… the group we’ll have in Milan is strong. We won a lot with Mancini, but we want to do better. We know that Moratti and the fans expect a victory in Europe, we ‘d really like to do well with you. We are ready for the challenge.”
Mourinho replied: “I know, Zanetti. I’m glad to arrive to the Italian football…’ I thought of all the scandals and controversies that have emerged, I was laughing and interrupted him: ‘Why Mister? Why Italy?’ ‘ Because I live for new experiences and I miss this step in football. I have worked in Spain, won in Portugal and England, and now I am going to Italy.’ ‘What do you expect, Mister?’ I try to make him understand what kind of pressure cooker Serie A and Inter is. ‘I want the challenge. I don’t like everything I see on the pitch and off it, but now I want to win with you. See you at training camp!’ I put down the phone in my pocket and thought, ‘For not yet knowing Italian, he did very well, A hell of a man, given that he also speaks Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, English and French…”
Source: fcinternews.it
