“There are two Argentinians.." and no it is not the beginning of a joke, but it is the story of two footballers who have and are making the Milan International great, Javier Zanetti, the Captain par excellence on the one hand, and Lautaro Martinez, the current one, who day after day is making the Nerazzurri fans proud.
Many things in common, starting from the mother country, Argentina. More than 600 km is the distance between Buenos Aires and Bahía Blanca, in the first city Pupi was born in August 1973, in the second 24 years later the Bull was born.
Adolescence in their country of origin and then, the European call, to Milan, where Inter awaits them who have put them in their sights. And after a bit of apprenticeship, there comes another thing in common, the Captain's armband. Not just any one, but that of a glorious team like that of the Nerazzurri, and it is easy to wear but to wear it you need men like them, who have dedication, passion and a lot of determination, because as Giacinto Facchetti said "There are days in which being an Inter fan is easy, others in which it is a duty and days in which being one is an honour". They both know this well, because before the two Argentinians won trophies there were heavy defeats.
Da Zanetti a Lautaro
The Vice President of Inter has made the club great as a true protagonist on the pitch, winning the Treble and more, and he is also doing it with this managerial role, because black and blue blood flows in Pupi's veins, and once he retired from playing football he couldn't say no to the second call from Inter, where together with the entire management he managed to win as many trophies. The “Tractor” was the first to welcome a very young Lautaro Martinez to Pinetina, who immediately proved to be serious and up to the task of the club.
Zanetti “Alzala al cielo Capitano”
“Raise it to the sky Captain”, this is how the Vice President commented under the post which portrays Lauti raising another trophy. A very strong bond between compatriots, a band for Lauti as heavy as the number on the shirt he wears, but for him nothing is impossible, because with hard work he transformed that little boy from the first day into a winning man, an increasingly leader of this Inter.
Whoever wants Inter must sweat, that's the message he wanted to send to the USA, after the dressing room seemed to be crumbling, he wasn't disappointed, he simply wanted to return to victory as soon as possible, he brought his teammates back on the winning path, like a true captain. An often criticized striker, but he has always been silent from that point of view, because he preferred to respond on the pitch with goals.
It's not just about football or raised trophies, another thing in common, the bond between them is a question of belonging. Pupi observes the captain from the stands, and sees not only the player but the man he has become, because as Javier underlined in his first book, "First the man, then the footballer", and observing the number 10 he can see that his armband has gone to another Argentine soul who wants the good of Inter. Yesterday Javier, today Lauti, the Argentine black and blue thread will never break.
Two captains, two eras, one destiny. El Tractor has written more than one glorious chapter for Inter, El Toro is doing it year after year, "Milan is my home" he said recently, because ultimately the numbers change, the roles change, but the wing still speaks Argentine and the story continues and the best is yet to come.
https://www.barzacom.it/news/160767053318/thula-il-cuore-dellinter-la-coppia-golsiamo-felici-qui