‘Be Fit, Be Safe’: Football’s epitome of fitness appeals to UAE
dubai -- The Dubai Sports Council’s ‘Be Fit, Be Safe’ campaign to encourage people to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic could not have found a better supporter than Inter Milan icon Javier Zanetti.
Famous for his impeccable fitness levels that allowed him to thrive at the highest level until his late 30s, Zanetti played 615 matches in a trophy-laden career at Inter, a record by a foreign player in the Italian league.
Blessed with fantastic dribbling skills, the versatile rightback gave jaw-dropping moments to the San Siro devotees with his lung-busting runs into the final third.
It is now fitting that this incredible athlete is appealing to the people of the UAE to do regular excercises at home even as the gyms around the country have shut their doors to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
“Hi, everyone. This is Javier Zanetti speaking to all my friends in Dubai and the UAE. In this moment, it’s very important to stay at home. Be fit and be safe,” Zanetti, who earned 143 caps for Argentina, said in a video message.
The former Argentina captain joins compatriot Juan Sebastian Veron, Portuguese legend Luis Figo, World Cup heroes Roberto Carlos of Brazil, Marco Materazzi of Italy, former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka of
France, Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs and legendary Italian referee Pierluigi Collina on the list of football’s marquee names that have backed Dubai’s beautiful initiative.
The Dubai Sports Council campaign has already received widespread support from people in the UAE as 750 participants made the first home marathon a resounding success last Friday.
And the 46-year-old Zanetti, who retired from the game in 2014 with five Serie A and one Champions League titles as well as a place in Pele’s list of 100 greatest living footballers, already has a strong UAE connection, having led Inter Milan to the 2010 Fifa Club World Cup victory in Abu Dhabi.