Gianni Infantino Weighs in on Mauro Icardi Situation, Slams Italian Stadiums

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has had his say on Mauro Icardi's situation at Inter Milan and the role of agents in the sport, while also slamming Italian stadiums, saying the country's infrastructure is behind that of Gabon. 

Infantino spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) and said he hopes Inter and Icardi can make up, before touching on the topic of agents:

"I would always want Icardi in the team and I hope that there can be a deal between Inter and Icardi to make both of them happy.

"UEFA and FIFA are working together on a very important issue, which also has ethical implications, and a business that every year moves €8bn. The profession of agents must be regulated.

"People talk so much about the USA being the country of deregulation, but they have very strict laws there and even the threat of prison. That is not the case in Europe. It is time to intervene."

Luca Bruno/Associated Press

Per the report, Infantino is a "confessed" Inter supporter.

Football Italia gave a brief explanation of the situation, as Icardi has been at odds with the club since he was stripped of his captaincy. He hasn't played since, watching the team's matches while he sits in the stands with an injury.

His wife Wanda Nara also acts as his agent and holds a position as a television pundit at the same time, complicating contract negotiations and leading to criticism, per Football Italia. She has said what she's doing is "revolutionary":

Argentina international Icardi has been with Inter since 2013 and has been the team's most productive player in front of goal during that span by some distance. His strong play and Inter's persistent struggles have led to a steady stream of transfer speculation, but an exit never seemed close until the current situation arose.

Meanwhile, Infantino also spoke to Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia) about the poor state of Italy's stadiums:

"The situation with stadiums in Italy goes beyond all logic. This is a country that has incredible passion and culture for football. Yet today Italy are behind Gabon, who organised the most recent Africa Cup of Nations, when it comes to stadiums.

"It's incredible to see that only Udinese and Juventus own their arenas. A stadium is not just an expense, but above all an investment."

As noted by Infantino, Juventus and Udinese are currently the only Serie A teams who own their stadiums. Many of the other clubs play in grounds that were built or renovated for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and have barely been upgraded since.

When Liverpool visited Napoli in the UEFA Champions League earlier this season sportswriter David Maddock was shocked by the poor state the San Paolo stadium was in:

The likes of Roma and Fiorentina have been trying to build new, modern grounds for years but local government continues to push them back, per Football Italia.

Juventus state-of-the-art ground that replaced the unwanted Delle Alpi stadium is seen as a major advantage and a big reason why the club has dominated Serie A of late.