Zanetti says Icardi could be stripped of Inter captaincy
Mauro Icardi's claim to the Inter captaincy is under review.
Club legend Javier Zanetti is left cleaning up his compatriot's mess, after Icardi released an autobiography that set off a fan frenzy.
In the book, Icardi recalls a 2015 incident in which he clashed with hardcore fans at the Curva Nord. The most egregious passage claims those supporters ripped a shirt from a child's hands and threw it back at him.
The supporters' group hit back Sunday, denouncing his recollection as "fiction" and urging for Icardi - who signed a new five-year contract earlier this week - to be stripped of the captain's armband.
Related: Inter ultras' scathing banner targets Icardi: 'Vile piece of s---'
Zanetti said he and the club would sit down and talk about it.
"There will be consequences. The fans are the most important element, we all have to respect them," he told Mediaset Premium before Sunday's match against Cagliari. "We cannot accept this kind of behaviour. Every single person has to know how to behave.
"Will we remove the captain's armband? We'll talk about it after the match. It's not only true for Icardi but for everyone working for the club and these values.
"His book is a private thing, no one expected what happened. Inter stands ahead of any individual person, and we are disappointed because it happened before an important match."
Serving as a totem for Inter over more than two decades, Zanetti earned the respect of Serie A with gentlemanly play and a fierce commitment to the Nerazzurri. When he speaks, the fans listen.
And apparently, vice-versa.