Mauro Icardi, the Argentine ace donning the Galatasaray jersey, has set his sights on achieving significant milestones in Turkish football.
Speaking on the club's YouTube channel program "Here's My Goal," Icardi reflected on his recent goal in the UEFA Champions League playoffs round against Molde, shedding light on his innate ability to find the back of the net.
Discussing the goal he netted in the away fixture against Molde, Icardi revealed: "At that moment, it was pure instinct that guided my movement and told me where to go. I could only guess where the ball from the aerial pass would land. Such deliveries are always a menace for defenses. As you all saw, neither the defense nor the goalkeeper anticipated that particular strike. Everything changes within seconds. When you watch it again, you realize it was an extraordinary goal. It held great significance for me as it marked my 200th career goal. Scoring in the Champions League was fantastic. The beauty and importance of that goal are something I will never forget."
Icardi emphasized that scoring goals is his special talent, stating: "Some players have unique abilities. Mine is scoring goals. It's no secret. I recently reached the milestone of 200 goals, and with every goal I score, I'm genuinely delighted by the support of the fans."
Reflecting on his time at Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), where he honed his skills, the 30-year-old player said: "My time at Inter was a valuable experience. I scored plenty of goals every season. I captained the team and surpassed the 20-goal mark almost every year. My period at Paris Saint-Germain was also good initially, but it started to decline towards the end. I gained crucial experiences. During times when I wasn't vital to the team, I discovered other aspects. I explored different training methods and paths for improvement. Paris was helpful in this regard."
Icardi expressed his contentment at Galatasaray, saying, "I'm very happy at Galatasaray. Coming here has given me the chance to prove myself, just as I've always done. I'm setting new goals for myself. From the very beginning, I've felt at home here. In Argentina, for most people, family comes first, and then football. We live and breathe football. What struck me the most here was the passion of the fans. Some believe that if you're in Türkiye, you're not at the elite level of Europe and that you're regressing. However, I have the opposite view. I want to be competitive in Türkiye and achieve significant things. My personality, charisma and character have remained unchanged since I started playing football. That's who I am. At Galatasaray, I've witnessed fans who are incredibly passionate about football, and I've formed a genuinely strong bond with them."
