Mauro Icardi: Inter Milan striker calls for ‘respect’ as feud with club continues

The Argentine is in the middle of a contract dispute and has been dropped for the last five games

(Reuters)

Mauro Icardi has continued his feud with Inter Milan by calling for “respect” as Luciano Spalletti refuses to provide an update on the situation with the club’s former captain.

The Argentine has an ongoing dispute with the Nerazzurri, with his wife and agent Wanda Nara failing to come to a compromise on a new contract, which has led to rumours of a move to Juventus – who confirmed their interest in the No 9 last summer.

Icardi has been dropped for the last five matches and had his captaincy stripped, with Spalletti refusing to clarify the situation.

“I don’t want to speak about Icardi. I will only speak about players who are here,” Spalletti said ahead of Friday’s match vs Cagliari.

But Icardi was quick to respond, providing a lengthy statement and insisting he is loyal and could have accepted offers to leave in the past.

“When I felt that with my goals I could help Inter to be stronger, in many ways,” Icardi wrote on Instagram. “Stronger than the problems of Financial Fair Play, stronger than our difficulties, when there were many to judge that as a team we were not worth much.

“At Inter, with Inter and despite all, I’ve always decided to stay, and for the love of these colours, I’ve turned down offers that most professional players would not have refused.

Icardi has a mixed relationship with Inter fans (Getty Images)

“I played with physical pain that brought me to tears after the game, and in the following days. But I have always insisted on taking the field, even against medical advice, because I was able to forget every pain on the field, with the only goal of giving everything I could to help these colours.

“For the love of the Nerazzurri colours. Because there is only Inter. I do not know if at this moment there is love and respect towards Inter and towards me by some who make the decisions.

“I do not know if there is somebody with the desire to act and solve things only and exclusively for the love of Inter. In a family many things can happen, beautiful or ugly.”