Inter Coach Frank de Boer admits the Mauro Icardi situation “is not good for the team, the fans or the club”.
The Nerazzurri captain caused a storm over the weekend after criticising the clubs Ultras in a section of his book.
While he was allowed to keep the captaincy, the Curva Nord have not forgiven the striker and have declared that he will “never be our captain”.
Inter Coach Frank de Boer admits the Mauro Icardi situation “is not good for the team, the fans or the club”.
The Nerazzurri captain caused a storm over the weekend after criticising the clubs Ultras in a section of his book.
While he was allowed to keep the captaincy, the Curva Nord have not forgiven the striker and have declared that he will “never be our captain”.
“This situation is not good for the team, the fans or the club,” De Boer agreed in his pre-match Press conference.
“In the future we need to avoid similar things, which lead to distractions from the game. Everyone must learn how to avoid these things in future, not just Icardi.
“It’s very important for me that the players and coaching staff remain focused on the match. Similarly Icardi must take on board what happened, because he has responsibilities as a captain.
“I think he has understood the need to be a good example for the squad and the fans.”
Much of the conference focused on the mounting pressure on De Boer, who has endured a poor start since replacing Roberto Mancini.
“I’ve said many times that a Coach of a big club like Inter, Ajax or Barcelona always has a lot of pressure on him when the results aren’t there.
“I think I’m doing a good job for the team though, all I can do is work hard. I have confidence in myself and my staff, but also the squad and the club.
“It’s a matter of time, when you haven’t won a trophy for four or five years it’s normal that the Coach can come under scrutiny.”
The Beneamata have conceded a lot of late goals, leading to questions over fitness coach Leo Echteld.
“The physical state of my players is important for me,” De Boer assured.
“When a player is in top condition then, for me, he’ll play. Echteld has a lot of experience, I worked with him in Holland and he’s doing good things here.
“He’s a specialist, and I trust him to help Inter improve.”
Could Marcelo Brozovic return against Southampton tomorrow, having been frozen out since the Be’er Sheva defeat?
“Yes, he’s training well and he’s played two games for his country. He’s ready to play, but we’ll see tomorrow.
“A squad of 28 players can lead to some off-field situations, only 11 can go onto the pitch, so it’s difficult. We have a lot of players with great quality who always want to play.
“I have to learn from these situations, but I’m always honest with everyone.”