Whatever Mauro Icardi’s done, he certainly doesn’t deserve the treatment he’s getting right now.
Just a few months ago, the Argentinian was riding high as one of the most highly-rated young strikers in Europe and had just been given the Inter Milan captaincy.
The 23-year-old reportedly turned down interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham to stay at the San Siro – but it’s fair to say he’s probably questioning that decision right now.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the Icardi story over the last few days, you’ll know he’s gone from hero to zero at Inter, with ultras even turning up at his house.
However, it seems this isn’t the first time Icardi’s safety has been threatened.
The striker made a big mistake during his time at Sampdoria, allegedly having an affair with the wife of then-team-mate Maxi Lopez – he then took it a step further by marrying her, and feeling the need to post pictures of himself with Lopez’ children.
It’s understandable that this upset a lot of people, but what happened next is simply going too far.
Argentinian journalist Carlos Monti, of Radio 10 has claimed, via the Sun, that the mafia then told Lopez they would “break his (Icardi’s) legs” and “end his football career”.
Lopez did the decent thing and declined, but it’s still worrying to hear if true.
Of course, this is completely unrelated to Icardi’s beef with the Inter fans.
During Sunday’s game against Cagliari, the Nerazzurri fans unfurled a banner reading:
“You use a child to justify yourself and fling mud at us… You’re not a man… You’re not a Captain… You are just a vile piece of s***.”
They also cheered when he missed a penalty.
The supporters have a big problem with the skipper, but that’s because of quotes in his recent autobiography, Sempre Avanti.
The player suggested he had a stand-off with the crowd following a defeat to Sassuolo when he handed a young fan his shirt having gone over to apologize for the team’s performance.
“As I get closer, I receive insults and abuse of every kind. Attached to the netting is a kid who calls me: he wants my shirt,” he wrote.
“Considering his age, he could be my son: I take off my shirt and shorts and throw them to him, as a gift. This kid is in seventh heaven and I am pleased to see him so happy.
“A head of the ultras jumps on him to take away the shirt and throws it back at me. This is when I start insulting him: ‘Piece of ****, you are acting all arrogant with a little kid to show off to the rest of the curva [Inter Milan utras]? Do you think you’re hard?’”
It remains to be seen whether he will remain as Inter captain, but it may be for the best that he takes a little time away from the spotlight after these latest terrifying claims.