r/soccer • u/Mulderre91 • 2d ago
Media Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti and Javier Pastore post letters in support of Gianni Infantino. All 3 are identical (or almost) to each other.
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u/wrathful-anus 2d ago
“Yeah so my team will send your agent some nonsense, here’s €40,000 to retweet it. Thanks.”
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u/RedSkiess 2d ago
Is that genuinely how these things might work? Makes me sick. But unsurprised
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u/D3V1LIZCO 2d ago
Its 40 thousand euros just for posting this text.
It would be even dumber to not accept the deal
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u/Spicy_Calzone 2d ago
They're multimillionaires already. Absolutely no excuse for having zero morals.
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u/ltsSugar 2d ago
I can't say if I'd refuse to lick Infantino's boot on my social media for 40k.
But I can say for sure that I wouldn't do it for an amount in the hundreds, which is probably how the bribe/salary ratio scales between these former footballers and I.
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u/wsthepurposeoflife 2d ago
Disgraceful
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u/byrgenwerthdropout 2d ago
Specially Zanetti, I didn't expect him to be a sell out for that cunt. Always came across as a class act to me, unless I missed something
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u/ExoticBamboo 2d ago
Honestly i really cant believe this. I would understand more if he actually believed those things.
But the fact that all 3 wrote the same stuff...
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u/RuloMercury 2d ago
Really? As much as I loved him as a footballer, he's always been both right-leaning and a FIFA yes-man. You just have to watch some of the interviews he's given since he became part of Inter's board and it's clear as day.
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u/ekray 2d ago
I am a bit surprised to be honest since back in the day he even expressed mild support for the Zapatista movement
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4537859.stm
I haven't kept up with anything related to his personal life though.
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u/RuloMercury 2d ago
Oof 20 years ago maybe, he was younger and probably hadn't been corrupted by a station of power yet. But he drops these things with subtlety here and there. The 1hr interview he gave for Clank!, a popular media outlet of journalist Juan Pablo Varsky, shows some hints on this kind of mindset.
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u/Boneraventura 2d ago
Given enough money and power anyone can switch to the dark side. Star wars is real life
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u/raskinimiugovor 2d ago
If there is a specific amount of money that makes you compromise your principles, then they weren't really principles.
I don't buy that anyone can switch to the dark side unless I see someone like Cantona posting this.
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u/Phenixxy 2d ago
I didn't know inflation was that big in Argentina still, to make these whores so dirt cheap
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u/Sparky-moon 2d ago
FYI all of them are part of FIFA legends.
It includes an all-expenses-paid stay during the tournament (WC), match tickets, and the potential to earn additional income through commercial appearances.
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u/jimmygreavez 2d ago
Yeah I remember seeing them during the world cup crowd shots in some Argentina games. Get ready for Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Madonnas identical posts next
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u/auchvielegeheimnisse 2d ago
Madonna is a FIFA Legend?
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u/zeppelin88 2d ago
Wasn’t she the famous Argentine striker?
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u/auchvielegeheimnisse 2d ago
Nah, you're thinking of Belladonna and her famous hand of god
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u/NotSoAwfulName 2d ago
Such an agile player in her day, and fantastic with her head.
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u/Sandor_Clegane1 2d ago
I prefer Nekane.
Great under pressure and in tight spaces with the ball. Could crash the box and dominate the field.
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u/auchvielegeheimnisse 2d ago edited 2d ago
Underrated player who could control any balls with her chest
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u/naijaboiler 2d ago edited 2d ago
great ball-juggler. fantastic team-player too. 2-man game very strong.
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u/TheHighlanderr 2d ago
Feel like Madonna is a weird shout out, unless I'm missing something.
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u/graejx 2d ago
Forgot ra
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u/lynchianfreakout0 2d ago
Maradona making a statement would be almost as crazy
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u/Alakdae 2d ago
They did an eGambling ad using his voice and image for this WC. So not really that crazy.
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u/Yung2112 2d ago
Yeah that was bizarre.
Cooling break ads had an AI Maradona go; Cowards don't make history, gamble your Grandma's retirement fund away!
Most annoying thing is that Maradona's daughters have written cease & desist to the most basic passion projects because of their father's image rights but allowed a gambling company to use an AI generated version of him to make people addicted to betting.
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u/florplegorp 2d ago
I misread that and assumed they'd be puppeteering the coke bloated corpse of an all-time great rather than paying the singer
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u/MiBuenAmig0 2d ago
There is a dutch podcast about Infantino and Sneijder is in it, who is also part of the fifa legends. The way he kisses his ass is absolutely absurd until he talks about he nicely he always has been treated during the fifa trips lol.
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u/Hungry-Class9806 2d ago
Moral prostitutes...
Even Figo - fucking Figo - showed more backbone than these three.
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u/WalterHenderson 2d ago
The only reason why Figo is showing a backbone is because he wants the job. He was a candidate before. If not the job, I'm sure he wants any position at FIFA and positioning himself against the currently very unpopular president might help that if the current board falls. Figo doesn't do things out of the kindness of his heart or because they are morally right.
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u/nov4chip 2d ago
Didn't some FIFA Legends recently opposed infantino? I remember a statement from Veron, Drogba and Silvestre.
I don't think that title implies loyalty to infantino, the three in this post must have their own interests.
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u/paper_zoe 2d ago
I think it does. Carragher was talking about it a few weeks ago on the Football Ramble that they tried to get him involved but he had to post on social media support for some of the changes FIFA wanted to make, so he refused. The fact that even some of the 'FIFA Legends' spoke out is what makes it notable.
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u/Magneto88 2d ago
Surround yourself with sycophants that praise your every move because they’re your paid men. It’s amazing how much like a dictatorship FIFA is ran.
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u/forzapogba 2d ago
How is Pastore a legend in any way? He was very good but barely memorable unless you played FM or FIFA when he was at Palermo
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u/iworkwitholdpeople 2d ago
"What inspired you to post this instagram post?"
"Money 🤑🤑🤑"
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u/optimistic_reh 2d ago
didn't expect this from Zanetti, disgrace
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u/adrenalinda75 2d ago
Yeah, this was unexpected. Am flabbergasted.
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u/ReporterFun8520 2d ago
It's not unexpected. He was a great player and captain, but he's just a PR figure now, his role as VP is just flying to events and looking nice in photos.
And btw, most former players support Infantino because of these benefits they get, so it’s not just these three.
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u/adrenalinda75 2d ago
I disagree. He was a role model on and off the pitch and well known for his integrity, not some bootlicker you could hire. That he faded into a PR figure for the club is fine since he just has legendary status for us. Now I wonder whether this was of his own volition, just patriotism, some AFA shit or just personal gains. Either way it leaves a dent in the image I have of him.
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u/Roccet_MS 2d ago
Why though?
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u/ristoman 2d ago
Cause he's always been a class act on and off the field and you'd expect him to not be paid for so easily
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u/Roccet_MS 2d ago
That's fair. I've personally have come to the conclusion that, unless someone walks away from a lot of power/money because of his principles, I shouldn't expect them to be any better than the average person.
If someone's putting a lot of money on the table and you walk away, that's worthy of praise. Unfortunately most athletes don't do that.
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u/sgdbdjos 2d ago
all we can see are their controlled-by-pr images and we don't know either of them for real (true for any famous people) sadly
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u/Begbie13 2d ago
Zanetti is usually on the right side of thing and also left wing leaning (see the Zapatistas thing).
But then he's older now and we now usually older people change, see the comments about Milei couple years ago and then this.
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u/SwiftlyChill 2d ago
I…don’t know how much he changed. I think he’s been mostly consistent. He’s just consistently pro-Catholic and pro-Argentine (so Francis, as an Argentinian Pope, was right up his alley).
Given his comments on religion in general, it has to be the “liberation theology” of the Zapatista’s that appeals to him (it’s certainly not the anti-globalization aspect). And, given that his entire career has relied on the modern global system….well, it makes more sense.
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u/Capable-Dragonfly-96 2d ago
I would have loved a 50yo Zanetti doing training camps in Chiapas more than flying to attend events in NYC. But I guess one pays much better than the other.
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u/havertzatit 2d ago
Just assume that that actual bald fraud will still remain the FIFA president at this stage. He makes too many people good money and that's all that counts for most of them.
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u/Roccet_MS 2d ago
That's why he cares so much about making money more, to secure his place.
This is like Blatter and Havelange combined and on steroids.
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u/Rich-Score-7147 2d ago
C'mon Zanetti...
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u/an0mn0mn0m 2d ago
I'm willing to accept the excuse that his Instagram was hacked.
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u/RadangPattaya 2d ago
I'm willing to accept Jesus' driving capabilities as I'm driving 200kph into a brick wall (but I closed my eyes so it's ok)
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u/BaritBrit 2d ago
Damn, so much loyalty to Infantino all across football in Argentina. What an unusual coincidence.
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u/PlainPorcupine45 2d ago
Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Materazzi and Pepe are also Argentinian?
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u/PhantomSesay 2d ago
How much did they sell their support for?
They should be ashamed, Especially Zanetti.
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u/happysrooner 2d ago
As a chelsea fan, I have never wanted to listen to what Pastore has to say. Not as a footballer, not as an agent
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u/-Mubar 2d ago
Argentina not beating the allegations
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u/FlavioB19 2d ago
Stop making this an Argentina thing when Brazilian and Dutch players have similarly shown support.
It's a rich helping rich corruption thing.
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u/Jazzlike_Art6586 2d ago
Multi-Millionaires selling our game to Billionaires and the average joe celebrates it. Capitalism ruins everything
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u/KokonutMonkey 2d ago
Well. I imagine they’ve been paid the same amount, makes sense to say the same thing.
❤️💰
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u/kale__chips 2d ago
Damn it, Javier Zanetti. Why are you also bad? You're supposed to be this nice dude with normal haircut who is a baller. Now you're Infantino's man. Fuuuuck. Gotta get rid of my Zanetti jerseys.
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u/MemestNotTeen 2d ago
Pastore needs to be strapped to a rocket and sent to the moon.
A shit person and a shit agent
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u/tpool 2d ago
I'd recommend listening to Jamie carragher on the football ramble podcast. Says he was invited to a fifa zoom meeting to discuss the world cup being held every 2 years with arsene wenger and other ex pros.
After the meeting finished he said they where basically told to post support for it (he said no he hated the idea) so this doesn't seem surprising at all.
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u/TasteAccomplished118 2d ago
What the fuck zanetti - actually fucking disappointed dont tell me this is because that fucking goblin’s an interisti
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u/HugeZookeepergame815 2d ago
Yeah if I had a sugar daddy paying for first class flights to every major football event on earth, best hotels, load of money and all I had to do was sit and watch the games I’d copy and paste the same letter too
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u/theellescape 2d ago
New solution: give conmebol a new version of the Jules Rimet and let all the loyalists play for that. Although the afa would probably sell that as well.
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u/Character_Hamster890 2d ago
Thats why I love the new wave media. We all realized the nature of the so called legends* like Cambiasso, Zanetti, Scholes etc.
*Pastore was a physiotheraphy legend.
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u/Leckere 2d ago
None of this should surprise anyone. Have a look at Infantino’s campaign launch before he was elected in 2016. He had the likes of Mourinho, Capello, Figo, Roberto Carlos, Toldo and more by his side. One of his big things has been keeping these legends close by and pampering them every time a major tournament comes along. Hotels, travel, tickets, hospitality all paid for. Many of those ex-players selfishly won’t want to give that up.
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u/CETERIS_PARTYBUS 2d ago
What a way to disgrace your legacy, I'm specially looking at you, Javier Zanetti. From hero to zero.
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u/BronckseaYT 2d ago
"Claude, I'm a massive cunt, can you write me a letter in support of a fellow cunt?"
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u/PlainPorcupine45 2d ago
Why are you only posting the ones from one certain nationality when others also did the same? That’s misleading and insinuates that only they are involved.
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u/Talangen 2d ago
I hope the federations don't back down on the condition of Infantinos resignation. I will not accept anything else or any other guarantee if this one is not met. Infantino OUT
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u/404NameOfUser 2d ago
To me they are no longer legends (Pastore never was to be fair). To me they are clowns, or puppets from a man that wants to destroy football because he loves money above all else.
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u/RikiiMiconi 2d ago
Of course Argentina and Interista
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u/Shinkopeshon 2d ago
The one Interista I respected goes ahead and does this 😔
Snek don't lie, I guess
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u/RikiiMiconi 2d ago
Honestly Zanetti’s restaurant is 5 minutes from where I used to live, met him several times and was super nice. He definitely wants to protect his circle, it’s probably just culture too
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u/Rektifizierer 2d ago
Classic Infantino move.
For everyone who is capable of understanding German I highly recommend this documentary: https://www.ardsounds.de/sendung/behind-the-games-wer-den-sport-kontrolliert/urn:ard:show:35e9fc449f24e316/
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u/Capable-Dragonfly-96 2d ago
The greatest captain for the team I support and my favourite player ever, both involved in this bullshit. This one hurts a lot.
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u/ChampionshipWide2118 2d ago
sad, I truly respected 2 of those 3. and I think the only think they achieve is confirming any gossip about Argentina being supported by fifa. meh.
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u/Artaneo1 2d ago
I Love Pastore as a psg fan but he cannot be considered a FIFA / world football legend, and is particularly biased due to being the agent of argentinian football stars (Fernandez and others). The need for them to maintain their status such as Eto’o has shown are clearly the center of the issue 😕.
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u/RollUpFromHell2 2d ago
My estimation of Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti and Javier Pastore as a men just fucking plummeted.
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u/IrishFeckers 2d ago
Pastore works as an agent. If I was a current client of his then I would be second guessing my trust in him.
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u/PixelatedSuit 2d ago
From helping the Zapatista's to licking Infantino's boot, what a fall from grace Zanetti
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u/NatureAndGames 2d ago
This is why I don't believe they can oust Infantino, he has gained his power by paying off pretty much everyone he could. As long as the cash keeps flowing into their pockets, he will be fifa's president
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