Inter vice-President Javier Zanetti is confident Mauro Icardi will get his chance for Argentina “soon”.
The Nerazzurri captain has played just once for his country, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute against Paraguay in 2013.
It has been suggested that Lionel Messi’s objections have led to Icardi being left out in recent years, but the Albiceleste legend doesn’t think that’s the case.
“Argentina always has the good fortune to find good players,” Zanetti told Diario La Voz.
“We only have to think about the forwards in the Seleccion just now, as well as Messi and [Paulo] Dybala there’s [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Ezequiel] Lavezzi and Maur
Icardi, who is the Inter captain and waiting for his chance, which I’m sure will come soon.
“Are there off-field reasons for him being left out? I don’t think so, I’ve spoken to Edgardo Bauza. Mauro is our captain, he’s playing very well, every game he plays with Inter is a way of showing that he’s a great striker who always scores goals.
“That will lead him to wearing the shirt of the national team. We rely on him, and his chance will come. He deserves it, but right now we need to respect the current squad.”
Dybala is a Juventus player, but Zanetti reveals Inter were close to getting him when he left Palermo.
“When he was at Palermo we were very close to getting him, but in the end we didn’t succeed. Now he plays for our rival, but we never stop to admire him.
“What he does with the national team is beautiful, we hope he can continue like this and give us a lot of satisfaction.”
The Nerazzurri VP was then asked why Juventus have dominated in Italy for the past few years.
“They’re showing great consistency, but we at Inter are on our way to building a good team,” Zanetti assured.
“The new ownership, Suning, have big ambitions and they want to bring Inter back to competing for important things. Inter deserve to be fighting for important things.
“Our cycle lasted seven years, we won everything. It was an extraordinary time, but all cycles end. Now we’re rebuilding for something important, we have great players and Icardi is one of them.
“With these great players and this new ownership, I think Inter will be back among the elite.”
