Inter Milan icon Javier Zanetti has revealed weight training was the key to the extraordinary length of his career.
Zanetti made his professional debut for Argentine side Talleres in 1992 and went on to make 957 club appearances including for Banfield and, most notably, Inter Milan, as well as picking up 143 caps for Argentina.
Javier Zanetti’s incredibly long career: Five things you need to know…
- Zanetti made his professional debut in 1992 for Talleres in the Argentine Primera Division.
- After a two-year spell at Banfield, Zanetti moved to Inter Milan in 1995 and made 858 appearances for the club in 19 years.
- The Argentine 12 major honours at the San Siro, including five Serie A titles and the 2010 Champions League.
- And Zanetti has attributed weight and strength training as the season behind his mammoth carer.
- Zanetti earned 143 caps for Argentina between 1994 and 2011, only Javier Mascherano has picked up more.
Zanetti called time on his career in 2014, shortly before his 41st birthday – an incredible achievement for an outfield player.
And the Argentine international has now revealed strength training was the key to him avoiding injury and extending his career way beyond the normal span of an outfield player.
“Strength has always been a fundamental aspect in my career,” he told Fox Sports Italia, via Football Italia.
“When I arrived in Italy in 1995, I started doing a lot of strength work, both with the team and on my own time. A player with strong muscles is more likely to prevent injuries and performs better.
“I always played twice a week, even from Sunday to Tuesday, but despite that would never miss my Monday strength training. Although usually after 48 hours you do feel tired, it made me feel better for the next game.
“I would bench press and had specific tests to work out which weight to lift during different periods of the season.”
Zanetti: I leg pressed 500kg
Such was the extent of Zanetti’s strength training, the defender added that he was able to leg-press 500kg, adding: “I leg pressed 500kg and with one leg I managed to lift 310kg. I would naturally also alternate those with work on ‘explosions’ of pace.
“For example, Jose Mourinho really liked to work with the ball, with high-intensity training based on hitting the brakes and changing direction.”
Zanetti also added his belief that modern football clubs need more ‘specialised figures’ for fitness and strength coaching, rather than just one fitness coach.
He continued: “I believe that in modern football you need more than just a fitness coach, as there ought to be specialised figures who work on different areas, for example strength. There has to be collaboration and a wider vision of the situation.”
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