Mauro Icardi is currently having a torrid time at Inter Milan, having incurred the wrath of the Italian club’s notorious Ultras and fans alike
The Argentine sparked a massive row when he claimed in his recently published book that he clashed with the ‘Ultras’ after one fan had ripped a jersey he’d given a small child from his hands after a match and thrown it back at the striker.
He also wrote that he would ‘bring 100 criminals from Argentina who will kill them.’
This has led to Inter Ultra’s hanging banners at the stadium insulting the striker, and even putting up banners outside his house asking where the Argentinian criminals were.
It would appear that Icardi has been left with only two options :
1) Redeem himself in the fans eyes, with Inter’s support :
Icardi has already profusely apologised for what he claims was an attempt to show how passionate the moment was, and how he was the one who lost his head. The fans are having none of it, though, and clearly something more needs to be done to assuage them.
Inter have also publicly stated that they are taking action against Icardi, and some reports have even suggested that Icardi will lose the captain’s armband as a result of the controversy. The Ultras have already disowned him as captain, telling him that he is finished as far as they are concerned.
It appears the only way that Icardi can win back the fans is through his performances, but that hasn’t been going well for him either. He was openly booed at Inter’s recent game against Cagliari, and fans ironically cheered as he missed a penalty later in the game.
The only thing that Inter can do at this point is back their player, perhaps issue a joint statement. Icardi could also attempt to show his remorse by using the wages from his brand new 5-year contract to donate to a charity close to Inter’s heart. Either way, it remains to be seen if there is any way back for him in the fan’s eyes.
2) Leave Inter Milan :
It increasingly looks like this is the path that Icardi will have to take, with the hatred from the Ultras showing no sign of letting up.
His agent and wife, Wanda Nara, today issued a statement saying Icardi was going nowhere. Asked if Icardi could leave the San Siro, she said:
“Absolutely not. He has just renewed his contract for five years, which includes a termination clause of €110m for foreign teams.
“There have been offers from other clubs, but Inter conducted themselves in an incredible way with Mauro. He has always worked hard to stay at the club.”
The statement came after fresh reports linking Icardi to Arsenal – a club that he was continuously linked with throughout the summer – and Napoli – who are currently sitting on a pot of gold after the £70m transfer of star striker Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus.
It seems unrealistic to expect Arsenal to offer Icardi a way out, considering they only just signed a striker in Lucas Perez and squad depth is not an issue for them at the moment. Icardi’s release clause is also far above the amount Arsenal are likely to spend on a player, although given the circumstances it won’t be surprising if Inter hold an interested club to that clause.
A move to Napoli could be a possibility, but it could also mean that Icardi is further vilified by the Inter fans. It has now got to a point where he has a legitimate reason to fear for his safety, and a move to Napoli could mean a complicated situation for his family, and for the player himself, considering the circumstances.
Although these are the only two clubs that have been consistently linked with the Argentinian, he will have no shortage of suitors given that he is only 23 years old and is a player of some talent. Given the situation at Inter, leaving the club seems like a much better option for Icardi, and come January the situation will be a lot clearer.
