Hakan Calhanoglou has continued his feud with Lautaro Martinez, despite neither Inter Milan player namechecking each other.
Calhanoglou is strongly linked with a move to his parents’ country of Turkey and despite travelling with the team to the Club World Cup in the US he didn’t feature at all.
Captain Martinez appeared to comment on the situation, telling the media: “We need players who want to be here. Those who do not want to stay, they can leave the club.”
That was interpreted by the Italian media as a dig at Calhanoglou, Inter’s most high-profile player who’s linked with a departure.
Seemingly responding to the comments, he’s now released a lengthy statement saying his lack of game time in the US was due to an injury rather than forcing a transfer.
Claiming he was injured in the Champions League final but wanted to support his teammates in the US, he said: “After the match, I did what I usually do when I’m injured. I called my teammates to get their feelings. Because that’s what you do when you care about your team.
“What struck me most were the words that came afterward. Harsh words that divide and don’t unite.”
He went on to say ‘respect is a one way street’ before finishing: “History will always remember those who remained great. And not those who spoke the loudest.”
Adding more fuel to the fire was Martinez’s strike partner, Marcus Thuram, liking the post on Instagram, suggesting that a dressing room rift is more serious than fans were first fearing.
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