Inter outcast Joao Mario says he has no intention of playing for the Nerazzurri again and has blamed the ‘chaos’ at the club for his unsuccessful time in Italy.
Mario joined Inter from Sporting CP during the summer of 2016 in a deal worth €45 million (bonuses included), following an impressive display at Euro 2016 in which he helped Portugal secure their first ever major international title.
However he struggled to impose himself during his first season in Milan and ultimately signed for Premier League outfit West Ham on loan in January, making 14 appearances for the Hammers in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign.
Mario is now due to return to Inter for the start of pre-season training in July, but in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday the midfielder made it clear that he considers his time in Italy to be over.
“I don’t want to have another go at Inter, I wouldn’t be motivated properly,” he said. “My time there is over, without a doubt.
“I’m not angry, I’m just taking stock of the situation after my year and a half in Milan. It’s clear for me: I’m not going back. I wouldn’t have that fire in the belly to revive my career at Inter.
“When I first arrived I was excited about a project that seemed to be going places; unfortunately things panned out differently.
“It would be pointless turning up at Appiano Gentile [for pre-season training], despite me having a contract with the club until 2021. I hope we can find a solution as quickly as possible, perhaps before the end of the World Cup.
“In football you need to be honest with yourself when things have finished, and with Inter it’s finished.”
Mario suggested that the chaos at the club during the summer of 2016 was a key factor in his failure to settle in with Inter, although he also added that he believes Italian football in general is not suited to him.
“The summer of 2016 was difficult: the club had just changed hands and there was an unstable coaching situation. Mancini, De Boer and then Pioli. There was too much confusion and for new signings such as myself and Gabriel Barbosa it was difficult.
“This was another reason I couldn’t express myself properly. The chaos at the club was clear for all to see. Who was to blame? Inter, the atmosphere around the club and Italian football in general, which probably isn’t suited to me.”