Soul Judgment, From Sampdoria's Rising Star to Manchester United's Discarded Player, He Went From Glory to Ruin!

The private room was completely silent.

"Mauro, back when we were both at Inter Milan, you went on strike and disappeared at the last minute, causing us a lot of trouble. Do you remember that?" Chivu said.

When Icardi heard that he was going to be ganged up on, he tried to stand up, but Chivu's large hand gripped his shoulder tightly, and Icardi was unable to move for a moment. He was sweating profusely and secretly alarmed.

"Where did he get such strength? Turns out he's settling old scores. These three, along with Chivu, have a lot of grudges against me. Looks like I'm definitely going to get a beating today!"

Tang Long, Ranocchia, Bonazzoli remained silent.

The three looked at each other, then their gazes all fell on Icardi.

Bonazzoli, with his impatient nature, slammed his fist on the table, stood up, glared at Icardi, and was about to throw a punch!

Back when Guarin was with Inter Milan, he bullied Tang Long. To repay Tang Long for teaching him football skills, Bonazzoli climbed over the wall into Guarin's yard in the middle of the night and stuffed burlap into the exhaust pipe of his car, causing Guarin's car to break down. Guarin was late for training the next day, fined, and was scolded by Mancini, who removed him from the starting lineup for the next day's game.

This was one of his old tricks, but the Bonazzoli of today is not the same as he used to be.

After two years of experience with the first teams in Serie A and the Premier League, although he still hasn't secured a starting position, his mentality has matured considerably. He's no longer the kid who only schemes behind people's backs; he dares to confront others head-on.

"Mauro, you skipped the match and disappeared at the last minute, causing us so much trouble! You traitor!"

Bonazzoli was about to throw a punch when Tang Long grabbed him and gestured for him to sit down.

To beat a dog behind closed doors, especially a former teammate, Tang Long felt that Chivu wouldn't do such a thing.

Chivu, in particular, had a faint smile on his face, and his tone wasn't as tense as it seemed.

Ranocchia, unsure of the situation, frowned slightly, gently pushed off the ground with both feet, and moved his chair back half a meter, stretching out to be more flexible.

Chivu smiled; clearly, it was just a joke.

He pulled a sign from his pocket and placed it in front of Icardi.

"Mauro, look what this is!"

The 2010 UEFA Champions League winner's medal.

"I remember, on your first day at Inter Milan, you said your dream was the same as mine—to win the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan. Then you asked me, how can we win the UEFA Champions League? I told you one word then, do you remember?"

Icardi paused, his gaze fixed on the dazzling medal.

In his mind, the summer of 2013 flashed by. Milan had Italy's most beautiful sunshine, lush green plants on the windowsills along the streets, and the constant chirping of cicadas. He himself had joined Inter Milan from Sampdoria, completing a major leap from a mediocre team to a powerhouse, and his whole family cheered for him.

On the evening after the signing ceremony, his fellow Argentina Milito, hosted a dinner for his new teammate and even invited Chivu over.

That's right, Icardi and Chivu were teammates at Inter Milan for a year, Chivu only announced his retirement the following year.

Milito once told his younger teammate Icardi: "Mauro, as a striker, you are very strong. I've seen your highlights at Sampdoria, and your desire to shoot is just as strong as mine was in my early twenties."

"Why did I call my good buddy, Chivu, here today? It's to show you that if a team wants to win, especially a top title like the UEFA Champions League, attack alone isn't enough. We also need defense. Individual efforts alone aren't enough; we must rely on the team as a whole."

"I scored twice in the UEFA Champions League final against Bayern, and I enjoyed all the spotlight, but without Sneijder passing me the ball, and without Zanetti, Samuel, Chivu, and Cesar diligently defending behind me, we would have been torn apart by Robben long ago, and I would be nothing."

Icardi, once a junior player, reigned supreme at Sampdoria, but upon arriving at Inter Milan, he acted like a lackey, merely nodding in agreement. After listening to Milito's advice, he readily agreed without hesitation, saying, "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, that's exactly it."

Chivu, standing to the side, said, "Unity, Mauro, unity is the best quality. Just like Milito and Palacio, give your all for the blue and black color you wear."

This dinner was clearly meant to be meaningful.

Milito had heard about his compatriot's performance at Sampdoria, especially his hat-trick against Sampdoria, which made him an instant star and a well-known figure in Serie A Juventus at the time. Inter Milan spent 13 million euros to buy him, intending for him to succeed the 34-year-old Milito.

However, after getting to know him, Milito felt that the kid was indeed a good striker prospect, but he had a fatal flaw in his personality - he was sometimes too selfish in order to score goals, putting his personal interests above the interests of the team.

This is something that the older generation of Inter Milan legends cannot accept.

"Look at yourself now. Clearly, you didn't listen to what Milito and I said."

Chivu sighed heavily, slowly put the UEFA Champions League medal back into his arms, then sat down, his eyes fixed on Icardi, filled with disappointment and heartache.

"When you were at Inter Milan, you were only focused on scoring goals and winning the European Golden Shoe. If things didn't go your way, you would blame your teammates for not passing the ball well enough. To achieve your goal, you didn't hesitate to completely break with the club, going on strike and disappearing. You wouldn't answer any of the calls you received. During that time, the team was in complete chaos because of you. Did you ever think about how everyone else felt?"

Chivu spoke, he shook his head slightly, his helplessness becoming increasingly apparent.

"You came to Manchester United and only played one good season before your true colors were revealed. You got into a fight with De Bruyne, and even got into a brawl with Ibrahimovic on the plane, almost getting arrested by the police. Look at what you've done! You're ruining your future!"

Chivu's tone grew increasingly agitated, and he leaned forward slightly, as if trying to force his words into Icardi's heart.

"Last season, Van Gaal valued you so much, but now Pellegrini has changed his tactics. If you can't score, you'll have to leave here in disgrace and go back to Serie A."

Chivu's voice suddenly turned stern, almost a roar, "You've been ruthlessly abandoned, Mauro! Have you ever thought about why you went from Manchester United's highest transfer fee to not even getting playing time?"

Upon hearing this, Icardi's eyes were already bloodshot.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt like it was choked by a boulder, and he couldn't make a sound.

"It was Wanda, it was Wanda who made me do this," Icardi thought to himself with regret. "I didn't want to go this far. Yeah, why did I have to go so far? The day before the strike, I was signing autographs and taking photos with fans. I clearly love the blue and black, the Meazza, and those lovely fans who cheered for me... Why did I have to mess everything up!"

Icardi's eyes were filled with remorse, and his hands unconsciously gripped his hair tightly.

"Tang is clearly the best passer in the Premier League. I just joined Manchester United, and I started posting sarcastic comments about Tang on social media just to curry favor with De Bruyne. It's ridiculously childish."

"And De Bruyne, he passed me countless great passes, and what did I do? I stupidly wrongly accused him and Wanda... How could I do that to him? My God, what have I done? I'm a terrible person, it's all my own fault!"