Football legend aims to instill his values in Maltese youths

Inter legend Javier Zanetti will aim to transmit the same values that distinguished him throughout his career, to more than 170 Maltese youths who will be attending his training camp this weekend.

Proceedings from the training camp, which will be held in Luxol Grounds, will go to Zanetti’s own ‘Fundacion Pupi’, a charitable institution he set up in 2001 which aims to help the poorest children in Argentina.

Addressing the press prior to the start of the training camp, Inter’s most capped player said he wanted to transmit his passion and love for the game.

“But I also want the training camp to serve as an occasion where these children can have fun and enjoy themselves. Ultimately, this is what football is about,” Zanetti said.

He hinted that his foundation’s collaboration with Malta can return in the near future since his initiative was always met with enthusiasm from the locals.

Inter’s most successful captain, who was appointed as an ambassador for Malta for tourism purposes in the past weeks, said he already started acting in this role upon his arrival yesterday.

“We started shooting at 7am and kept on going till 7pm… but it was also an occasion to visit various beautiful parts that I had not yet visited when I first arrived in Malta,” he added.

Regarding the ambassador’s role, he said that both parties found a suitable agreement in a very short time.

Javier Zanetti joined Inter in 1995 and retired earlier this month. Throughout this period he won a total of sixteen trophies, fifteen of which under his captaincy.