Javier Zanetti On What Cristian Chivu Is Really Like At Inter As Jose Mourinho Admission Made
Jose Mourinho made Javier Zanetti the captain of Inter almost immediately.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 23 January 2026
Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti has spoken at length about his illustrious time at the club, which spans a staggering three decades.
In an in-depth interview with Corriere dello Sport, the Nerazzurri legend spoke about a number of topics, including Jose Mourinho and current head coach Cristian Chivu.
Inter are in a good place at present, sitting top of the Serie A table, in the Champions League playoff spots and in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
The Nerazzurri are still in contention for a treble, which Mourinho famously won in the 2009/10 season.
Javier Zanetti recalls being made Inter captain by Jose Mourinho in first phone call to Argentine icon
Javier Zanetti joined Inter as a player in 1995 and played for the Nerazzurri until his retirement in 2014.
The Argentine made over 600 appearances and worked under a staggering 28 head coaches at Inter.
When it came to his favourite, Zanetti went with Jose Mourinho, who famously achieved the treble 16 years ago.
Zanetti also recalled the first time Mourinho called him, a phone conversation he says will never forget.
“Mourinho, of course, always stays with me,” said Zanetti. “We did something unforgettable and maybe unrepeatable.
“There was also Gigi (Simoni), who is unfortunately no longer with us. Simoni was like a father, he made everything simple.
“Jose, on the other hand, was a leader, he was really convincing, persuasive. I still remember our first phone call.
⚫️🔵 Javier Zanetti at Inter:
UEFA Champions League 🏆
UEFA Cup 🏆
Serie A 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Club World Cup 🏆
Coppa Italia 🏆🏆🏆🏆Happy birthday, @javierzanetti! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/NghRvoBKLt
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 10, 2022
“It was June, I was returning to Argentina and had a stopover at Fiumicino. At one point, I received a call from a Portuguese number.
“‘It’s Jose Mourinho, I’ve just signed for Inter, you’re going to be my captain. Apologies if I don’t speak Italian very well’.
“He did speak it very well. Direct, loyal, an incredible coach.”
Mourinho is currently at Benfica, where he recently said he “could coach Juventus” ahead of their Champions League clash.
Cristian Chivu impresses Javier Zanetti with his leadership
Zanetti also gave a strong verdict on Cristian Chivu, the former Inter defender now tasked with leading the team.
They made 159 appearances together, the first coming in 2007 and the last in 2013.
Both are Inter legends and, luckily for the fans, their association with the Nerazzurri continues.
“Cristian is an intelligent man, very prepared and a good motivator,” Zanetti said.
“I listen to him when he speaks to the team, he always gets through to the guys.
“He always looks for a strong performance, which is what Inter have always done, even against Arsenal, the strongest team in Europe.
“We deserved more points against Atletico and Liverpool, we’re missing those two points.”
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
Our unbiased editorial policy
Despite ongoing collaborations with commercial affiliates, the details, information, and reviews we provide remain honest and unbiased. We keep this in check by implementing a stringent editorial policy.
Our policy implements strict editorial standards, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of our articles, news, and reviews. Only the highest-quality content reaches our pages. We achieve this through conducting thorough research on each topic, conveyed to you using unbiased reporting, to ensure we earn your trust and keep it.
