Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions
Chapter 216 - 187: Disappearance Record: Blocking Teammates on the Phone, Only to Be Kicked Out of the Team!

Chapter 216: Chapter 187: Disappearance Record: Blocking Teammates on the Phone, Only to Be Kicked Out of the Team!

As the head coach of Inter Milan, Mancini is mainly responsible for the general training strategy, while the execution is mainly handled by assistant coach Herrera.

Therefore, Mancini does not show up at the training ground for roll call at the start of each training session.

This morning, when all the Inter Milan players lined up, Herrera noticed that everyone else was present, except for Icardi.

At first, Herrera was a bit puzzled.

Icardi has always been very professional in training. This season, not only has he never been late, but often arrives ten or twenty minutes early to warm up himself.

After waiting for a few minutes, Icardi still did not appear.

Herrera inquired with several players who had a good relationship with Icardi, but no one knew where Icardi had gone.

Herrera immediately contacted Icardi by phone, only to discover — he had been blacklisted by Icardi!

He immediately called out in alarm and quickly contacted head coach Mancini to report this important situation.

When Mancini hurriedly arrived at the training ground, the other Inter players were also bewildered.

"Mauro seems a bit off today. Do you know where he went?"

Tang Long asked Berni.

Berni shrugged and shook his head.

"Aren’t you two quite close? If you don’t know where he went, how should I know? Who knows what crazy thing he’s up to today."

The players started discussing fervently.

After all, with Icardi being the team’s top scorer, his sudden absence from training and blacklisting assistant coach Herrera clearly indicated that the matter was not as simple as everyone thought.

Fortunately, although Mancini appeared grim, he managed to stabilize everyone’s emotions promptly and instructed the training to continue.

After all, there was an upcoming important match against Lazio over the weekend, and they couldn’t let the players’ moods fluctuate too much, causing mistakes in the preparation.

Several players trained while keeping an eye on the player tunnel, hoping Icardi would show up in time to resolve this crisis.

With only two rounds left in the league, at such a critical juncture in pursuing a Champions League qualification, no one wanted to see this situation unfold.

However, until Herrera blew the whistle announcing the end of the morning training, Icardi still did not appear on the pitch.

Herrera let out a heavy sigh, understanding that something was seriously wrong!

After training, the players returned to the locker room and tried calling Icardi.

[Hello, the user you are calling is currently busy, please try again later.]

Handanovic exclaimed, "I was blacklisted by Icardi too!"

Subsequently, Hernanes, Little Juan, Santon, and Podolski all shook their heads helplessly, indicating they had also been blacklisted by Icardi.

Even captain Ranocchia faced the same fate.

In anger, he slammed his phone on the ground, shattering the screen.

"That damn Mauro! He’s blacklisted even the captain of Inter. Is he not giving me any respect?"

"Could it be that this kid has been kidnapped by the Italian mafia?" Berni’s sudden comment intensified the tension in the atmosphere.

Tang Long was the only one not blacklisted by Icardi, and surprisingly, the call went through.

Tang Long put the phone on speaker, and everyone gathered around.

"Are you kidnapped?" Tang Long asked.

"I’m fine, Tang, I’m just at home," Icardi said before hanging up.

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances.

"I’ll go check on Icardi this afternoon, see what he’s up to," Tang Long suggested to everyone.

"Don’t go, everyone should stay put and wait for the club’s official stance," Ranocchia said, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

The next day during training, Icardi unexpectedly showed up on the pitch.

Ignoring the curious gazes from everyone, he walked straight to Mancini and explained that the reason he missed training yesterday was due to a groin injury, and he wanted to rest at home.

Mancini sneered, unimpressed, and instructed Icardi to go to the medical room for a check-up.

The club’s medical team conducted a detailed examination of Icardi’s groin, ultimately showing that Icardi was in perfect health, except for a slight swelling on his right little toe, with no injuries present anywhere else.

"Mauro, how do you explain this?"

Mancini tossed the report at Icardi’s face.

"I don’t need to explain anything. I just feel my groin hurts, and I can’t play now," Icardi replied coldly.

Mancini’s gaze swept over Icardi from head to toe, his eyes filled with sadness and disappointment.

Mauro, oh Mauro, don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to pull — you’re faking an injury!

"Did your agent Wanda teach you to do this?"

Mancini sighed deeply.

Icardi still stubbornly insists that he’s really injured.

Mancini feels a chill in his heart and then a rush of anger; the image of the past Balotelli resurfaces in his mind, and he simply walks away.

How could this explanation fool Mancini?

As a coach who has been in the world of football for years, to put it bluntly, a mere twitch from 22-year-old Icardi’s behind, and Mancini knows exactly what he’s going to do.

You’re upset because you couldn’t score one or two goals in the last game, aren’t you?

Aren’t you keen on competing with C Luo and Messi for this season’s European Golden Boot?

Fine, well then, you won’t play the rest of this season’s matches.

Let your European Golden Boot go to hell!

Inter Milan management quickly announced the penalty for Icardi.

He’s banned from entering the first-team training ground due to skipping training without reasons and can only train with the youth team.

Additionally, Icardi is prohibited from using the first-team cafeteria and other training facilities.

Of course, he was unsurprisingly cut from the Serie A round 37 match squad for Inter Milan playing home against Lazio.

The announcement of the squad without Icardi immediately stirred up a storm in the Italian football world!

If before this, Sky Sports published rumors in newspapers about Icardi wanting a transfer – which were merely rumors.

Then in this round of Serie A, being truly excluded by Mancini from the club’s match squad aligns with these transfer rumors, doesn’t it?

Looks like Icardi seeking a transfer is not baseless rumors, but indeed true!

Many analysts point out that Icardi’s honeymoon period with the team seems to have ended abruptly, the reasons for which are genuinely bewildering.

Even though during a pre-match interview, Mancini repeatedly told reporters that Icardi’s exclusion from the match squad was due to technical reasons, only a fool would believe his official rhetoric.

Excluded due to technical reasons, then who from Inter Milan would even be selected?

This is simply a joke.

However, Inter Milan still sticks to its principles, not being led by Icardi.

Despite Icardi claiming externally that it’s his injury preventing him from playing, Inter Milan never confirmed this statement, consistently maintaining it’s "technical reasons" for his exclusion.

This gives the media ample space for imagination.

"This guy is truly peculiar, who’s ever played like this, he’ll eventually play himself to death."

The day before the match, Ronaldo and Tang Long are chatting idly in a cafe.

"Honestly, Tang. When I first returned to Milan and was establishing my agency, I even sought Chiwo’s opinion on whether I could bring Icardi over. Do you know what Chiwo told me?"

"He said Icardi’s wife Wanda wants to be his agent, if Wanda joins my agency, it would probably bring a lot of trouble."

"At that time, I was nonchalant about it, now looking back, Chiwo really saved my life."

Ronaldo said with some lingering fear.

"Mauro won’t even answer my calls now, it looks like he’s determined to leave Inter Milan by the end of this season, and his European Golden Boot is probably going to be in vain." Tang Long said calmly.

Ronaldo scoffed with laughter!

"Ha, and he wants to compete for the European Golden Boot? I’m not deliberately elevating you, but if you weren’t on this team, Icardi would only score over 20 goals this season, a standard Serie A Golden Boot. Competing for a season where Messi and C Luo score forty or fifty goals for the European Golden Boot, what is he dreaming of?"

"He doesn’t have the capability, you know?"

"Icardi’s tactical role is just too singular, he’s a weakened version of Inzaghi, particularly ruthless in the penalty area to snatch a point."

"But once out of the penalty area, Icardi is just a player with nothing special. And given his playing style, I find it hard to foresee significant breakthroughs in his career."

"Moreover, with such a brainless wife agent, this guy is really out of luck."

"You’re right." Tang Long sipped his coffee, "Mr. Ronnie, it seems meeting you is my career’s luck."

"Hahaha, you could say that!"

"Tang, rest assured, I’m not that kind of unscrupulous agent employing brainless acts to push for a pay raise. Only the brainless and big-breasted Wanda would do such things. Don’t worry, I will definitely cultivate you into a world-class star. I have the confidence and the ability." Ronaldo’s eyes gleamed with confidence.

The two chatted for a while longer, talking about life in Europe after arriving.

Then Ronaldo asked Tang Long: "Now that Icardi has been suspended by Inter, it’s predictable that not only the match against Lazio but also the subsequent Coppa Italia against Juventus, the Milan Derby, and the UEFA Europa League final, he won’t be able to play any of these 4 matches. Only Bonazzoli can fill in, do you have the confidence?"

"Of course, I do."

Tang Long nodded.

"Not only do I have confidence in Bonazzoli, but I also have confidence in myself. Does the absence of Icardi mean Inter Milan won’t be able to play football anymore? Mauro may score goals but he’s yet to have the ability to control a team by himself."

Ronaldo raised a solemn thumb, leaned forward, and said to him:

"No matter how skilled Bonazzoli is, he cannot possibly reach Icardi’s level now. I was a striker myself, so I know. Although you praised Bonazzoli a lot during your Sky Sports interview, this guy at most only has half of Icardi’s capability."

"Tang, if you wish to maintain winning streaks in the remaining matches, when necessary, when unable to break through, you must decisively step up to the frontline and share the scoring pressure with Bonazzoli!"