The geometry of scoring goals has been easy for Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi but his success has come amid the backdrop of a love triangle involving a teammate who was once a good friend.
Icardi spoke openly about the “odd” situation involving himself and fellow Argentine Maxi Lopez and insists he is now a contented family man.
Almost anyone who passes through Barcelona’s famed youth academy draws attention and Icardi recalls when then B team boss Pep Guardiola stopped training to chat with him.
“When the training session finished up, we went into his office and he said, ‘Mauro, you have to fight for this, work hard, always be humble and relaxed,’” Icardi recounted.
The spotlight intensified when he scored on his first-team debut for Sampdoria while on loan with the “La Samp” in 2012.
It was at Sampdoria where the 22-year-old met Lopez’s now former wife, Wanda Nara, and several months after Lopez and Nara divorced, Icardi and Nara tied the knot. Icardi even has tattoos of the three children Lopez had with Nara.
And when Sampdoria met Inter Milan last April, it was dubbed the “Wanda Derby,” fodder for the gossip columns as well as the sports pages.
In a scene reminiscent of Wayne Bridge’s handshake snub of John Terry in the Premier League in 2010 – Terry was romantically linked with Bridge’s former partner – Lopez refused to shake Icardi’s hand.
Icardi scored twice in the 4-0 mauling and moving on to this campaign is tied for second behind another Argentine, Carlos Tevez, for the most goals in Serie A. But his spat with Lopez continues to capture the imagination of the public.
“The truth is we had an experience together at Sampdoria,” Icardi said. “We shared a year together on the team and we had a good friendship. After everything that happened and from that moment on, everything was cut off.
“The situation was a bit odd. It was a bit strange how everything turned out because one doesn’t want these things to happen, but they did.”
Icardi lives with Nara and her three kids and the couple recently welcomed Francesca into the world.
Icardi admits it was a shock to the system when his baby daughter was born.
“It changed my life 360 degrees because being relaxed at home, lying down on a couch and not hearing noise or the other three kids we have at home – who are Wanda’s but are a lot calmer – is something that was taken away from us by surprise,” Icardi said. “But this is something we wanted.
“I liked the idea of being a father, to have a child and finally Francesca arrived and now the house is insane because she cries all day and at night, she doesn’t let us sleep.
“She changed our entire schedule and it’s something that we have to get used to a bit because these first few months are going to be like this.”
Icardi and Nara are well known for posting pictures and messages on Twitter professing their love for each other. Indeed the player is adamant that Nara “means everything” to him.
“She’s the person that’s by my side every day, the person that’s there for the good, for the bad or when I feel bad,” he added. “She’s always with me. She’s a person who helps me so much and we’ve managed to form a beautiful family and, right now, she means everything to me.
“I hope to live and share everything I achieve with her. As long as my footballing career goes on, I hope to achieve it by her side because she truly deserves it for the sacrifice she’s made of being so far from her family, so far from Argentina and to be by my side here, raising our children and being happy in Milan.”
Icardi is part of an Inter side in transition – adrift in the race for the title but also for a Champions League spot. German club Wolfsburg recently knocked Inter out of the Europa League 5-2 on aggregate, too.
Yet no one can argue with Icardi’s contribution.
His prowess in front of goal is even more impressive considering he didn’t like football in Argentina when he was growing up, only playing the sport because his father would tempt him with a sandwich and soft drink.
He said his agents are currently in talks with Inter about an improved deal, news that’s sure to disappoint potential suitors elsewhere in Europe.
“Regarding my pay, my salary, that I don’t ‘earn a lot,’ these are things that are a result of two years ago when I came to Inter,” Icardi said.
“To me, it was a good contract for having arrived at Inter. I signed the contract with the excitement and desire to prove my worth and be an important player for Inter.
“Now, after two years, I still have this contract that people are talking about, but my agents are speaking to the club, they’re coming to an agreement, they’re seeing how to fix this situation and when it happens, I’ll sign the renewal and – I’m sure – I’ll be happy and Inter will be happy if they want me to stay here.”
