Mauro Icardi's Lawyer Insists Star Is Not Interested in Money Despite €1.5m Lawsuit Against Inter
By Tom Gott
The lawyer of Mauro Icardi has insisted that the controversial striker only opted to sue Inter in order to try to regain a place in the team, adding that he is not interested in the financial side of the issue.
Icardi chose to pursue legal action after new manager Antonio Conte banished him from the first team. It also emerged that, as part of the case, Icardi had demanded €1.5m in damages as a result of being unable to play.
However, speaking to Sport Mediaset, lawyer Giuseppe Di Carlo insisted that his client did not want to demand money, but a flaw in the legal system meant that it was a requirement if Icardi wanted to pursue the case.
He said: “I want to clarify that the request for damages is a necessary consequence of the legal action and not a personal initiative by the player. It would’ve been an incomplete document without requesting at least 20% of the salary as compensation. Once you take that action, the issue of compensation becomes obligatory.
"If the court rules in his favour, the compensation will be a natural consequence. It applies to everyone, not just to Icardi.
“It’s a situation where money is irrelevant because what Icardi wants is to be an integral part of the Inter project. How is it possible in two months of pre-season training he hasn’t taken part in a single friendly?
“Now we must wait up to five days for the tribunal to accept the case and I think they’ll wait until the transfer window has closed on Monday evening. Obviously, if Icardi were to complete a transfer, the legal action would be dropped.”
Icardi's last appearance for Inter came in the 2-1 win over Empoli at the end of the last Serie A season, and he has since been overlooked by Conte, who spent heavily to bring in Romelu Lukaku as his replacement.
As a result, Icardi has been heavily linked with an exit, with the likes of Juventus and Napoli thought to be keen. However, the transfer window closes on Tuesday, so any deal now appears incredibly unlikely.