He was as a smooth operator in his playing days but a lost lanyard caused the usually-unflappable Javier Zanetti to get a little hot under the collar.

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Inter vice-president refused Champions League draw entryAppears to have misplaced credentialsEventually talks his way past securityGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Over 600 appearances and a Champions League win with Inter count for little it seems in the corridors of UEFA headquarter in Nyon. After popping out of the room during Monday's Champions League quarter-final draw, the legendary Argentinian, now Inter's vice-president, found himself struggling to get past security without his credentials.

After a spirited debate, in which other attendees appeared to vouch for him, Zanetti was eventually allowed back into the auditorium.

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The poor security guard can hardly be blamed for doing his job, but he clearly cannot be a football fan after failing to recognise one of the game's best players and one who looks like he could still do a fine job at right back given how little he has changed since his playing days.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JAVIER ZANETTI?

Zanetti's reward when he finally got back into the draw was a last-16 meeting with his former Inter and Argentina team-mate Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid with the first coming at the San Siro in February.