Hakan Calhanoglu and his wife have responded to Inter captain Lautaro Martinez's harsh words following the team's shock exit from the Club World Cup.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Inter lost 2-0 to Fluminense in CWC round of 16Martinez's aimed indirect attack at Calhanoglu after the gameTurkish playmaker and his wife respond to the captainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Calhanoglu and his wife, Sinem, have taken to social media to respond to the criticism from Inter captain Martinez after the team's shocking 2-0 loss to Brazilian side Fluminense in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup on Monday. The Argentine aimed indirect jibes towards the playmaker and furiously asked him to leave the club.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Calhanoglu suffered an injury in the Champions League final on May 31, but still made the flight to the United States with Inter for the Club World Cup. While training, he says he suffered a fresh injury which resulted in him missing all four matches of the tournament. In fact, he was altogether dropped from the squad for Monday's game. Following the loss, Inter captain Martinez launched a scathing attack on his team-mates, saying: "The message is clear: whoever wants to stay, stay, whoever doesn't want to stay must go. We are fighting for an important shirt and we have to fight for important goals… I won't name names. We are here to do everything, but I saw many things that I didn't like. So as captain, as group leader, then there is the coach first, but I have to say it because that's who I am. I'm on one side or the other: I want to fight for the goals because we are a great team, we have returned to the top and I want to continue."
TELL ME MORE
At the time of Martinez's post-match interview, it was not known who was the subject of his attack. However, Inter president Beppe Marotta confessed that the 27-year-old was, in fact, talking about Calhanoglu.
Speaking to Marotta explained: "I interpret [Martinez's] words positively, Lautaro as captain has highlighted some suppositions and some truths. One thing I always say, if a player wants to leave, it's right that he goes. There is no one who has concretely expressed this intention, he was perhaps referring to Calhanoglu but it is part of the end-of-season dynamics that we have always faced calmly.
"We will talk to Calhanoglu and we will deal with it in the best way for the interests of Inter and his team. This call from Lautaro is shared by the club, this must be the winning spirit that can take us far. Calhanoglu's drop in interest? No, we must thank him for what he has done."
WHAT HAKAN CALHANOGLU & HIS WIF SAID
Taking to social media, Sinem, Calhanoglu's wife, wrote: "Some people are not loyal to you. They are loyal to their need for you. Once their needs change, so does their loyalty. Don't regret having a good heart, Hakan. All good things come back and multiply."
Amidst the controversy, the former AC Milan midfielder posted a statement on Instagram to explain his side of things, aptly providing a response to his club captain. In a long message on social media, Calhanoglu explained his absence from the squad and also hit back at Martinez.
He said: “Yesterday we lost, and it hurt. I felt sadness, not just as a player, but as someone who truly cares. Even though I’m currently injured, I picked up the phone right after the match and called a few teammates to lift their spirits because that’s what you do when you care about your team.
“What surprised me even more were the words that came after. Words that hit hard. Words that divide, not unite. In my career, I’ve never looked for excuses. I’ve always taken responsibility. I’ve played even through pain, I’ve led, especially in difficult moments, not with words, but with actions.
“I respect every opinion, even from a teammate, even from the club President, 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 believe my actions spoke clearly. I’ve had the honour 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."
