In Mauro Icardi's career, March 12, 2017 will inevitably remain a tasty day. On this Sunday afternoon, the Argentine striker will mark the history of Inter Milan. In a Giuseppe-Meazza stadium in fusion, the Interists receive Atalanta Bergamo, future opponent of PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and surprise team of the season, which remains on seven games without defeat. After 26 minutes, however, the Bergamasques are already 3-0 down. Three goals signed by captain Mauro Icardi.
In the 17th, the native of Rosario, in ambush, takes advantage of a free kick from Banega messed up by the wall to deceive the goalkeeper with a cross shot from the left. In the 23rd, he obtained a penalty which he himself transformed with a masterful panenka of the law under the helm of the unfortunate Berisha. Then, in the 26th, on a cross from Banega, he sends a powerful uncrossed header into the skylight. Left, right, head. The perfect hat trick in nine short minutes. With another hat-trick from their compatriot Banega, Inter won 7-1.
The next day, the transalpine press was dithyrambic. The Gazzetta Dello Sport titled on the "Magnificent 7" insisting on a "record match" since "it has been 56 years since Inter had not scored 5 goals in 17 minutes". The Corriere dello Sport evoked a “monstrous” Inter. The praise centers on Icardi, the star of the team.
"He was young, combative and proclaimed his love for the club"
“At that time, he was the king of Inter, remembers Matteo Brega, journalist for Gazzetta. His hat-trick that day, along with that of Banega, was the symbol of Argentina's success with Inter. But Icardi was something else: he was already the idol of the tifosis. Everyone saw him become the new Javier Zanetti ( Editor's note: the Argentine defender who has played 9 seasons at the club of which he is now vice-president ). We were all convinced of it. He was young, combative and proclaimed his love for the club. Against Atalanta that day he was so strong. Icardi, he was he Capitano and everyone loved him. And then he had all his problems with the club. "
More surprisingly, this historic correction is not a bad memory for Atalanta fans. Because a few weeks after this memorable match, the Bergamasques finished Calcio in 4th place, three rows ahead of Inter.
"I remember that match at San Siro very well," said Pietro Serina, journalist at Eco di Bergamo. It was Gasperini's first year at the club. Atalanta was bulging her chest a bit before going to San Siro, she was a little too sure of herself. And there she takes 7-1. A humiliation. I remember what I wrote that night. There is an Italian singer called Fabrizio de André (Editor's note: died in 1999) , a little our Brassens. In one of his songs, he says that from m ... flowers are born. I had paraphrased it. "
Eight months later, a double in nine minutes
After such a correction, any club of this level plunges into crisis. Not Atalanta. “There, the team returned the same evening to the training center in Zingonia and thousands of supporters were there to applaud and encourage the players,” continues Serina. From there, Atalanta has not lost a single match (Editor's note: over the last ten days) and qualified for UEFA. So, somewhere, thank you Icardi! "
The story between Icardi and Bergamo does not end there. The following season, on November 19, 2017, still in San Siro, Atalanta fell again, 2-0 against Inter, on a double from the Argentine striker who scored his two headed goals in… nine minutes!
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Icardi, crowned best player and top scorer in Serie A in 2018, was quietly building his legend. No one suspected that the romance between the Argentine and Inter would come to an end and lead to a heartbreaking transfer two years later. “There was a lot of disillusion around him,” explains Matteo Brega. But he does not have the image of the traitor because, fortunately for the supporters, he did not go to Naples, Juve, Rome or, worse, AC Milan. He chose PSG, which is less worse. In fact Icardi and Inter, it was a crazy love story that was to lead to a marriage for life and which ended badly. "
Leonardo and PSG jumped at the chance and hope the Argentine will regain his effectiveness on Wednesday against Atalanta in the Champions League quarter-finals.