Luciano Spalletti explained his decision to leave Mauro Icardi out of his Inter Milan side, saying the striker has humiliated the club.
Icardi was left out of the side that lost 1-0 at home to Lazio on Sunday, despite returning to training in midweek, and Spalletti says the striker did not deserve a place in the side.
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The 26-year-old was stripped of the captaincy following protracted negotiations over the renewal of his contract and he then said he could not play because of a knee problem.
Icardi returned to training this week after a meeting between his lawyer, Paolo Nicoletti, and the club, but Spalletti is not ready to welcome him back into the first team just yet.
“To have to negotiate with a player to get him to play and wear the Inter shirt is humiliating, for the fans and his team-mates,” Spalletti said after third-placed Inter’s defeat.
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“Do I have to email his lawyers before I can select him?” “Today, Mauro Icardi had to be left out because of the way he has behaved, it’s only fair that the others play…
“It’s a question of credibility,” the manager told reporters.