Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 7y

Inter Milan to discuss Mauro Icardi future amid autobiography row

Inter Milan bosses are meeting on Monday to discuss Mauro Icardi's future after passages in his autobiography prompted some fans to turn against him on Sunday.

Icardi's name was jeered when the team was read out, while banners also criticised the captain.

The striker had written that he was "acclaimed as a hero" in the dressing room after a confrontation with "one of the fan leaders" in 2015.

The comments in his book have angered Inter ultras, who have accused him of telling "lies" in a statement.

Inter's vice-president Javier Zanetti would not rule out stripping Icardi of the captaincy, confirming that disciplinary action was inevitable, and coach Frank De Boer said the matter would be discussed in depth.

"It's a situation I don't want to talk about -- we will discuss it tomorrow with all respect for Mauro and for the fans," the Dutchman told a news conference on Sunday, admitting his side had hit rock bottom in a 2-1 defeat to Cagliari.

"We need to find a solution because it's not a positive situation for us."

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio will be present for the talks and La Gazzetta dello Sport reported him as saying: "If Zanetti says the club will take action then, since he is the vice-president, he is speaking on behalf of the whole club.

"We'll speak with Icardi and have the time then to take all the decisions we have to take.

"I don't know how you can write an autobiography when you are only 23. I only found out this year that he was writing it and I didn't even know if I should read it or not, but when the content hit the public domain, I looked up a few things he wrote.

"There are bits that we and the fans do not like, justifiably. We'll evaluate it all with the lad, who has to take his responsibility. We'll talk about it."

Icardi posted a statement on his Instagram account in which he said: "I'm surprised [by the reaction] because, in reference to the incident at Reggio Emilia, I simply referred to how, also due to the adrenaline at the end of a match and the bad period of form the team were in, I lost my mind in the heat of the moment.

Cara Curva Nord, sono sorpreso e dispiaciuto. Sorpreso perché relativamente all'episodio di Reggio Emilia ho semplicemente riferito di come, complice l'adrenalina post-partita ed il cattivo momento che stava attraversando la squadra, "a caldo" ho perso la testa. Volevo semplicemente rendere l'atmosfera di quell'episodio. Tanto è vero che nel libro ho aggiunto che avevo sputato fuori frasi esagerate (ed il verbo sputare già rende l'idea di quanto inopportuna fosse stata la mia reazione). Riguardo al discorso degli assassini dall'Argentina, siccome da più parti mi continuavano a ripetere che mi sarei ritrovato degli esagitati sotto casa (nota bene: non la Curva Nord, degli esagitati) ho pronunciato quella frase: ma nella biografia ho anche detto "avevo usato parole minacciose contro la tifoseria e non avrei dovuto farlo". Sono dispiaciuto. Dispiaciuto per questo polverone che si è creato, Ho semplicemente raccontato un episodio seguendo i miei ricordi. Oltretutto se uno avesse un minimo di sale in zucca non rischierebbe di offendere la propria curva, strategicamente se fossi stato in mala fede avrei usato parole accattivanti nei vostri confronti. Non l'ho fatto perché nessuno voleva offendere o mancare di rispetto a nessuno. La fascia da capitano rappresenta la realizzazione dei miei sogni di bambino, la gioia che ho donato prima di tutto alla mia famiglia e poi a me stesso. Siete Voi che io cerco ogni domenica appena faccio gol, è il Vostro abbraccio che io cerco per primo. perché io amo l'Inter. Fra pochissimo scendero' in campo quindi non posso più dilungarmi. Spero che avrete compreso quanto importanti siete per me e quanta stima e quanto Amore nutra per Voi anche se deciderete di fischiarmi. Vi chiedo solo una cosa da Capitano: state vicini all'Inter come avete sempre fatto, io e i miei compagni abbiamo bisogno di Voi. Con affetto Mauro 🔵⚫️🔵⚫️

A photo posted by Mauro Icardi (@mauroicardi) on

"I just wanted to convey the atmosphere in that moment. It's equally true that I added that I had spat out exaggerated remarks (and the verb 'to spit' already gives an idea of how inopportune my reaction was).

"I also wrote in my autobiography that I 'had used threatening words towards the fans and I shouldn't have done that'. I'm sorry. Sorry because of the controversy that has been created. I simply recounted an incident according to my memories of it.

"Besides, if anybody has even an ounce of intelligence, they would never risk offending their own Curva."

He said being Inter captain "represents the realisation of my childhood dreams, a joy which I gave first of all to my family and then to myself. It is you who I look for every Sunday when I score a goal; it's your hug which I look for first. Because I love Inter."

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