Mario Balotelli’s Career vs Character: Self-Destruction Prevails
What big achievements has Mario Balotelli clinched in his career so far? What individual moments can he look back to in great pride?
A Look At Mario Balotelli’s Club Football Career So Far
Mario Balotelli joined Internazionale in 2007 after an unsuccessful trial at Barcelona. He experienced a big fail with his disciplinary record after Roberto Mancini’s departure as the Nerazzurri’s coach and endured a sour relationship with Jose Mourinho.
Balotelli infuriated Inter supporters by wearing a Milan jersey as Italian TV show Striscia La Notizia could reveal. Later, the youngster provoked Inter supporters, once again, by throwing his Nerazzurri jersey on the floor after busting into anger at the boos of his own fans during Inter’s Champions League semi-final match against Barcelona at the San Siro.
Mario Balotelli made a total of 86 appearances, scored 28 goals and made 13 assists for Internazionale in the space of three seasons. He won the Serie A thrice and was part of Inter’s treble success under Jose Mourinho.
In the summer of the year 2010, the Italian moved to Manchester City without leaving controversy behind him.
As of the end of March 2011, Balotelli has made only 18 appearances for the Sky Blues and has 10 goals to his name. Recently, he got sent off as Manchester City suffered from their numerical disadvantage and thus exited the UEFA Europa League at the expense of Dynamo Kyiv.
A Look At Mario Balotelli’s International Football Career So Far
His international career is not better than his club football career. Balotelli snubbed calls to represent Ghana at every occasion.
Meanwhile, bureaucratic issues deprived him from playing for Italy at the youth level. Balotelli, who was adopted by Italian parents in 1993, became eligible to represent the Azzurri after he turned 18.
The striker made a few appearances at the youth level for Italy, scored a few goals and also earned a red card after retaliating against Sweden’s Pontus Wernbloom during a U-23 match. Mario Balotelli was snubbed by Marcelo Lippi for the 2010 FIFA World Cup but then found favour in the eyes of Lippi’s successor, Cesare Prandelli. “Super Mario” has now appeared at the senior level only twice – and he is yet to gain regular call-ups.
Mario Balotelli’s Character: Laughable In The Public’s Eyes
The Italian striker of Ghanaian origins is actually more popular for his indecent behaviour on the pitch and for his controversial comments off the pitch – at the detriment of his dignity. Some may prefer to refer to him as “the guy who claimed not to know Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere” rather than “the 2010 Golden Boy Award winner”. Others, more sarcastically, may simply entitle him as “the Super Mario who cannot dress himself”. (See the video below)
To sum up, this is the kind of comments anyone is most likely to receive when humbleness is substituted by arrogance. Cesare Prandelli has been the latest among Balotelli’s critics to remind the 20-year-old that life ahead of him in the world of football could be extremely short and unbearable.
“I spoke with Balotelli and he is sorry about his exclusion [as he has failed to match my ethics]. He has asked me for help,” Prandelli revealed during a press conference on Monday.
“Mario knows he has been stupid and he asked how he can stop himself from destroying everything.
“[He has been excluded from the squad for Italy’s upcoming two international matches], however, we keep him in consideration.”
There’s undeniable talent flowing through Mario Balotelli, but the boy is under a curse through his spirit - the spirit of an auto-destroyer. It may take huge steps for “Super Mario” to remove his coat of arrogance and wear humility in his quest for success.
