Inter Milan coach Frank de Boer has told ESPN that Mauro Icardi was right to respond to Diego Maradona's recent insults, while he hopes that the matter will end.
Inter captain Icardi was on the receiving end of criticism by Maradona after Icardi married the ex-wife of former Sampdoria teammate Maxi Lopez, shortly after they divorced two years ago. Striker Icardi - who made his only appearance for Argentina in 2013 - had responded by saying that whilst Maradona was a legend on the field, all he is doing off it is "making a mess."
Former Netherlands international De Boer defended his player in Il Corriere dello Sport, saying: "Mauro gave a swift reply and he did right.
"Let's draw a line under it here because controversy doesn't help. Instead of that, I think if he carries on working this way, he will be called up to the national team."
Meanwhile, Frank de Boer's brother, Ronald, has backed his management at Inter.
"Frank has discipline and respect at heart and that is how it should be," Ronald said. "We both grow up with the belief that respect for others is the first thing and even being just one minute late is a big deal.
"Frank's not tough, he's honest and direct. He's an open and friendly person. Obviously, he wants to win every game and he'll never be happy to lose. He wants to become Italian champion and right now, I would say that it's realistic to challenge for the leading positions.
"Frank will always think big, which is how it should be in the role he has. He's a mix of [Johan] Cruyff, who was innovative, and [Louis] van Gaal, who knew that you need a structure on all levels in football nowadays."