Lautaro Martinez has slammed one of his Inter Milan teammates in a stinging post-match interview after the Serie A giants were dumped out of the Club World Cup.
The Champions League finalists, who finished second to Napoli in the Italian top flight on the final day, were beaten 2-0 by Brazilian side Fluminense in the round of 16 clash in Charlotte, North Carolina.
It was a day of upsets in the tournament as Manchester City were beaten 4-3 in extra time by an Al Hilal side managed by former Inter boss Simone Inzaghi.
After the loss at the Bank of America Stadium, Martinez spoke to broadcaster DAZN and went on the attack - appearing to call out teammate Hakan Calhanoglu.
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Though the midfielder was absent from the squad due to injury, reports claim he is keen on signing for Galatasaray in his home country of Turkey.
Martinez, captain in his absence, seemed to send a message to the Turkey international amid speculation about his future.
What did Lautaro Martinez say about Inter Milan teammate?
"We have a clear message: anyone who wants to stay must stay, anyone who doesn’t want to stay here should leave," he stated, via Football Italia.
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“We represent an important club and must challenge for important objectives.”
Not holding back, the Argentine added: "It is a general message. In order to stay up there and fight for titles, we must be eager, we must be a squad the way we were in the year of the second Scudetto. We’ve got to rebuild from there.
“I am not going to name names. We are here to give our all, but I saw many things I did not like. I am captain, I am the leader of the group, so I have to speak up.
“The message is clear: those who want to stay and continue challenging for important trophies can do so, otherwise, goodbye.”
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Inter Milan president reacts to Lautaro Martinez's interview
Although he didn't name Calhanoglu, many perceived Martinez's remarks to be about Calhanoglu and that was seemingly confirmed by Inter president Beppe Marotta, who said he "imagined" that the 31-year-old was the intended target.
He hailed Martinez's interview as "words of a captain" which “are something the club shares, in a winning spirit that can take us far" as he he stressed that it is the right move to offload a player should he "no longer want to be somewhere".
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Marotta said the door is "wide open" for Calhanoglu to depart should he wish but revealed the club will sit down with the midfielder.
He told reporters: "If a player says they want to leave, the door’s wide open.
“I am saying this—and my words are directed at Hakan Calhanoglu. However, we should not turn Calhanoglu into a scapegoat; we will speak with him.”
Marotta did also clarify that Calhanoglu is yet to express a desire to leave Inter, who replaced Inzaghi with former defender Cristian Chivu following the Champions League final hammering at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
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Hakan Calhanoglu issues response to Lautaro Martinez
After the storm, Calhanoglu took to Instagram to give his take and respond to Martinez. After explaining he could not feature in the Club World Cup due to a muscle tear suffered in training making it "impossible" to do so, he set the record straight and called for respect.
In a post with the caption," a lot has been said in the past few days", he also dropped a number digs at Martinez in his lengthy statement.
"I respect every opinion - even from a teammate, even from the club president," Calhanoglou wrote.
"But respect is not a one-way street. "I've always shown respect on and off the pitch, and I believe that in football, as in life, true strength lies in showing respect, especially when emotions are running high.
"I've never betrayed this club. I've never said I'm not happy at Inter. "There were offers in the past, tempting ones. But I stayed. Because deep down, I know what this shirt means to me, and I believed my actions spoke clearly.
"I've had the honor of wearing the captain's armband for my country. And I've learned that leadership means standing by your team - not pointing fingers when it's easiest.
"What the future holds now, we will see. But history always remembers those who stood tall, not those who shouted the loudest."
Topics: Lautaro Martinez, Inter Milan, FIFA Club World Cup
Josh Lawless