The Argentine had lashed out at Çalhanoğlu after the elimination in the Club World Cup and hinted at a conflict within the locker room
The surprising elimination of Inter Milan against Fluminense in the Club World Cup exposed an internal conflict that had been brewing for some time, even though the team fought until the end in Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.
Lautaro Martínez lit the fuse with a direct post-match message: "There were things I didn't like; we all need to pull in the same direction. Anyone who doesn't want to be here should leave".
The coach Cristian Chivu backed the captain: "Lautaro is right". The president Giuseppe Marotta went further: "He didn't say it, but I'll say it. Lautaro's message was for Çalhanoğlu. If there are conditions for us to part ways, we'll do so without any problem".
As hours passed, more details of the internal rift emerged: Marcus Thuram, Lautaro's attacking partner, supported the Turkish player by liking his statement on social media.
Meanwhile, Marko Arnautovic also publicly backed Çalhanoğlu. Even Gaia Lucariello, Simone Inzaghi's wife, who left Inter after losing the Champions League final to PSG and is now head coach of Al Hilal, joined the reactions with a "Like", which suggests that the wear and divisions in the locker room have been present for some time, and not only pit Lautaro against Çalhanoğlu, but affect the entire squad.
