Icardi punished but appears set to stay as Inter captain

Inter striker Mauro Icardi appears set to stay on as captain after issuing a further apology for his criticism of the club's supporters.

Icardi infuriated sections of the Curva Nord ultras after a passage in his new autobiography suggested he had made himself a "hero" by standing up to one of the group's leaders.

The 23-year-old claimed he had argued with the fan following Inter's 3-1 loss to Sassuolo last season, after his shirt - which he attempted to give to a member of the crowd - was thrown back at him.

Banners were displayed during Inter's 2-1 loss to Cagliari on Sunday claiming Icardi's career with the club was "finished", while sections of the supporters cheered when he missed a penalty.

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio had suggested that Icardi could be stripped of the captaincy in the wake of the controversy but, although he has been sanctioned by the club, it would seem that he has retained the armband.

An Inter statement read: "Following a meeting this morning between management and Mauro Icardi, FC Internazionale announces that the captain will be sanctioned for contravening the club's internal regulations as signed by every player."

Though the details of his punishment were not confirmed, Icardi says he and the club are determined to put "this sorry incident behind us".

He also stated that he would seek to have his autobiography amended to remove any pages that left fans feeling "offended, betrayed or threatened".

"The last couple of days have been a sad period in my time with the Nerazzurri. Yet within a family - and I've always been taught that Inter is first and foremost one big family - tough times and misunderstandings happen.

"It all stemmed from a page of my book which was probably written in haste; a page where some of the tone wasn't appropriate and I'm really sorry that the Inter fans got caught up in all this.

"This has offended a lot of people but you always need to look forward and, if possible, do everything in your power to get things back to normal.

"That's why I'd like to apologise and I will make efforts to have those pages removed to avoid anyone feeling offended, betrayed or threatened.

"I've spoken to the club and we've put this sorry incident behind us and we all have one aim. We want the best for Inter because nothing is bigger than this club.

"That's why I've accepted all of the club's decisions. I will try to be more careful in future, something required of my role within the team. Now, more united than ever, we can prepare for our upcoming commitments with the utmost determination."

Icardi also uploaded a matchday picture on his official Instagram page, in which his captain's armband is clearly visible, captioned with the words "I'll never leave her alone".