APPIANO
GENTILE – He trains, is committed and is constantly looking to improve. Mauro
Icardi spoke at length to Sky Sport Italia about his present moment with the
Nerazzurri, but also about his dreams and his future.

"I think it’s always tough to play at Inter because this is an
important team. But I also believe that if you work hard you’ll get your
chance. Is the number 9 a big weight on my shoulders? Yes, but not too much
since it’s a number I really like."

Coming from Barcelona, the Argentine
forward is someone who loves the sea: "It’s hard not to see it every day, also
because I lived in the Canary Islands before going to Barça. It’s different
here, but you eventually get used to everything."

Icardi left the cantera at the age of 18 and moved to Italy: "I don’t know if it was Barcelona who wanted me to leave. I wanted to go and play for Sampdoria and Barça decided to help me out."

On his fitness: "It’s been a tough year. My groin injury is still causing me a bit of discomfort but we’re trying to solve it. I want to end the season as well as possible both personally and with the team.

"What mark would I give myself? That’s not for me to say. It’s for the fans and the people who watch the games to decide."

What about the Nerazzurri’s chances of finishing fourth? "I think Inter need to be as high as possible. We’ve set out on a new path with a new coach. We have to work hard and see where we can end up."

So when can Inter get back to challenging for the title? "That’s something we’ll discover day by day. We’ll see where we are at the end of the season."

Mauro went on to reveal a bit more about himself, starting with a question about his regrets: "I don’t know if there’s a mistake I’ve made that I’d like to redo differently. I’d have to think about it. What’s hurt me the most? There’s nothing that’s hurt me the most. We all have our own lives to lead: I have mine and the others have theirs. If people want to say something to me they’re free to do so. What interests me is that people talk about me for my goals."

He also touched on the topic of social networking: is it indispensable? "No, it’s not indispensable but I’ve always used social networks. I think everyone does in 2014."

Looking ahead into the future, could Icardi follow in Javier Zanetti’s shoes and spend the rest of his career at Inter? "That wouldn’t be bad… I supported Inter as a boy so coming here is an amazing experience."