Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino was full of praise for Javier Zanetti as he announced the Inter legend and current Nerazzurri vice-president as an inductee into the international football hall of fame at an event in Mexico at the Salón de la fama del fútbol.
“It is up to me to present this award to, someone, who, for me, was one of the greatest in Argentina and world football. He is one of the great captains of the Argentine national team having played 142 matches,” Martino, who is currently in charge of the Mexican national team, began.
“At Inter, he was the first non-Italian to be captain of a Serie A club. He was an excellent professional who made a mark in his era and is an example of a great person.”
Zanetti spent almost his entire career in an Inter shirt making no less than 860 appearances during a 19 year spell with the club between 1995 and 2014.