Inter have no lack of faith that defender Milan Skriniar will continue to perform at a high level for the rest of the season, but there is also real disappointment at the player’s decision to leave and his behaviour during contract extension negotiations.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInter1908, who report that whilst the Nerazzurri don’t doubt the 27-year-old’s professionalism, they see the stripping of the captain’s armband as a serious response to a lack of loyalty shown.
When Inter decided to keep hold of Skriniar rather than selling the former Sampdoria defender during the final month of the summer transfer window, they had expected that they would be able to agree a new contract with him past the end of June.
Whilst the talks had been started, and there seemed to be an initial willingness on the Slovakian’s part to agree a new deal, things eventually broke down.
From the club’s perspective, the player had his head turned, and for this reason, he has had the captain’s armband taken away permanently after having worn it on a regular basis for several months.
None of this means that Inter expect Skriniar’s performance levels to drop over the remaining months of the season, and on the contrary, they have every expectation that he will continue to give his best.
However, this does not mean that there isn’t a certain bitter aftertaste to how things ended in the contract talks, and a feeling of real disappointment in the defender’s decision.
