The former West Ham star shares the opinion of many Reds fans at present
It may not be the most earth-shattering summation of Mario Balotelli’s football career so far, but Paulo Di Canio has never been one to mince his words – even as a coach – so his assessment that Balotelli is only in football to be a celebrity will ring true with many Liverpool fans.
Speaking to Fox Sports Italia about the Liverpool striker, Balotelli didn’t pull any punches. He said:
“I think at some point you have to realise what it means to play with your teammates, sharing good and bad moments and it doesn’t seem like he [Balotelli] is doing that.
“Many coaches have tried to change him. [Roberto] Mancini has been like a father to him, but even he won’t reunite with him at Inter.
“[Jose] Mourinho understood immediately, he’s good at understanding players, and he realised that he could change him. Now he hasn’t got anyone to rely on.
“He’s still young, he’s physically strong, and he’s an incredible athlete, but he’s never taken advantage of his great potential.
“Sometimes in football you think you can just hog the ball, show off in some way and let your teammates run for you, but you can’t, football is about sacrifice, and a bond with your teammates.
“That doesn’t mean off the pitch in a bar, but being generous on the pitch. I hope he’ll recover, but I can imagine it’ll be very difficult, as he spends to much time on social media.
“It seems like he uses football to be a celebrity, rather than the opposite.”
It’s something that most would find hard not to agree with, as Balotelli seems to spend as much time on social media and in the celebrity sections of websites and newspapers as he does on the pitch; something which has riled many fans.
His omission from much of the end of last season and the squad against Stoke City seems to suggest that Balolli’s attitude is going to see him on his way to his next club in short order. A shame for a player with such huge potential but, ultimately, of his own doing.
Can Rodgers change Balotelli or, as Di Canio suggests, will it be difficult for the striker to change from hereon in? Let us know your thoughts below.
Amazing how his value has dropped. At least he has a good agent who also tried to persuade him to try harder, apart from the fact he refuses to close down defenders regularly he is disruptive to training and the squads focus. What a waste of talent
He is a petulant idiot who has a hugely over-inflated sense of self-worth. He has utterly wasted all the efforts of his poor adopted parents and every earnest person in football who has tried to help him throughout his career. He could and should have had it all. He should have provided much more for his clubs, managers and team mates. He could have provided his compatriots and people in his country of birth with much more help if he had ever applied himself to the maximum of his capacity. Having said that, he is young and how he behaves merely reflects the current status quo with young idle people who come up against barriers – many youngsters today just give up. They then begin to review their online status and ask “who loves me anyway…with or without my job? Reassure me people please!” However, the vast majority of young people do not get to work in such privileged circumstances such as Balotelli’s. Maybe he should start to think about what he might tell his grandchildren one day, that is, provided he manages to have a successful relationship with ‘anybody’.
diz boy will neva com good dear