Inter’s Ultras released a new statement declaring Mauro Icardi “is not our captain, now or ever” but they’ll continue to support the team.
After the controversy surrounding his autobiography, the striker has apologised and the Nerazzurri have allowed him to keep the armband, but the Curva Nord aren’t in a forgiving mood.
“Let’s start with a necessary clarification,” a statement begins.
Inter’s Ultras released a new statement declaring Mauro Icardi “is not our captain, now or ever” but they’ll continue to support the team.
After the controversy surrounding his autobiography, the striker has apologised and the Nerazzurri have allowed him to keep the armband, but the Curva Nord aren’t in a forgiving mood.
“Let’s start with a necessary clarification,” a statement begins.
“Many have not wanted to understand the reason for our stance. The incident of a shirt being ripped from the hands of a child – as recounted in Icardi’s book – is fictional.
“Assimilating this idea, which is not too difficult to verify, would help everyone. That’s even before the written death threaths [which if we’d made them would have meant injunctions and probably a jail cell].
“Then we’re stuck with a ‘head to head’, the Curva against Icardi, only to end up with the classic ‘the Ultras are the evil of football’.
“Icardi has apologised for his over-the-top tone, not the content. Icardi continues to support, in a cowardly way, the idea that the head of the Ultras would launch himself at a child.
“We won’t return to this point. Whoever wants to do that, with fictions and distorted perspectives is free to do so, but they’re living in a dimension which is an alternate reality.
“For us as for everyone else – we hope – the captain of Internazionale should be a symbol.
“Experience, charisma, humility, integrity, intelligence… Picchi – Facchetti – Mazzola – Bergomi – Zanetti. Basically the opposite of Icardi.
“We therefore cannot find agreement with the statement of the Inter hierarchy. We understand it, the logic, the motivation. But we can’t accept it.
“It’s not for us to decide though, to each his proper role. That’s what we’ve always asked for, that’s how it should be.
“We believe though that a club like Inter, outside of our views, shouldn’t allow an individual like Icardi to wear the captain’s armband.
“Not because the Curva says so, but because of Ethics and Respect [sic]. Honestly, our history deserves something better. For now though, enough.
“Icardi is a closed chapter, we don’t want to talk about this anymore. HE IS NOT OUR CAPTAIN. HE IS NOT NOW, HE NEVER WILL BE.
“The Curva will do what the Curva does, we’re already preparing for the Europa League match [with Southampton] on Thursday. We’re preparing our voice, we’re preparing our hearts.
“Hands to the sky, Inter needs US.”