Galatasaray striker Mauro Icardi published a direct message to supporters in mid-May, thanking the fans who stood by him during four seasons in Turkey.
The Argentine, who arrived on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 before joining permanently after 22 goals in 24 league matches, shared the note on Instagram following the club's domestic cup and league successes. The post, written in Turkish and widely republished on X, was framed as both gratitude and response to long-running criticism.
"First and foremost, I thank you. But not everyone," Icardi wrote, limiting his thanks to "those who never gave up on believing in me, on cheering, on standing by my side, and on defending me, even in the hardest moments." He said that across four years in Istanbul he had "heard everything," and that detractors had called him fat, skinny, finished, injured and out of shape. "Maybe they're right... But the numbers and statistics speak for themselves," he added.
Icardi described the affection of a new generation of supporters as beyond words, said the respect of the club's greats "isn't won so easily... it's earned and it's real," and closed by marking "one more trophy to our history," repeating his long-stated view that "Galatasaray is already great, but we're going to make it even greater."
The statement came after Galatasaray beat Trabzonspor on May 14 at Gaziantep Stadium to win the Ziraat Turkish Cup for a 19th time, and days later celebrated a record 25th Süper Lig championship. Icardi has been central to that era, with 77 goals across his four years at the club.