Crisis in Turkey: Icardi lost his place, no renewal, at odds with the boss | OneFootball

Mauro Icardi is going through his most delicate moment at Galatasaray: he has lost his place in the team, his renewal is not guaranteed, and his relationship with the coach is broken. The 33-year-old striker went from being a key player to sitting on the bench during a crucial stretch of the season.

The relationship with coach Okan Buruk broke down after a series of sporting decisions and an explicit request for him to leave in the last transfer window. According to Turkish media, the manager had asked for a striker to be brought in to replace him in the rotation, which led to talks with his camp that ultimately went nowhere.

The breaking point came in the UEFA Champions League, in the defeat against Liverpool. Icardi came on with the score at 0-4 and only a few minutes remaining, a decision that further strained the relationship.

Since then, his involvement has been limited. In the draw against Kocaelispor, he came on late, had little impact, and was unable to influence the game, far from the level he showed in previous seasons.

The decline began after the ligament injury he suffered against Tottenham, which kept him out for ten months. Upon his return, Victor Osimhen had already established himself as the starter, and Icardi’s role was pushed to the background. This season, he has made 42 appearances, with 15 goals and two assists.

Amid the situation, the striker used his social media to take responsibility: he asked for the criticism to be directed at him and backed the team in the title race. With his contract running until June and no progress on a renewal, his future is uncertain. Clubs such as Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli, and Club América are closely monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, Galatasaray leads the Turkish league by the slimmest of margins over Fenerbahçe, in a title race that leaves no room for error.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.