mario balotelli

Mario Barwuah Balotelli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmaːrjo baloˈtɛlli]; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City and the Italian national team.^[4][5]
He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and only played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona,^[6] and subsequently joining Internazionale in 2007. Roberto Mancini brought Balotelli into the first team but when Mancini left, Balotelli's disciplinary record fell away. He had a strained relationship with new head coach José Mourinho and was suspended from Inter's first team in January 2009 after a number of disciplinary problems. His problems deepened in March 2010 when he came under heavy criticism by Inter fans after he appeared on the Italian TV show Striscia la notizia wearing an A.C. Milan jersey. This damaged the prospect of him having a long career at Inter, but he did make several appearances after that.
With doubts over his career at Inter, former coach Roberto Mancini at Manchester City was keen to give Balotelli a fresh chance at a new club. He joined Manchester City in August 2010, where his performances and off-field activities have continued to be controversial and enigmatic. Balotelli earned his first cap for the Italian national team on 10 August 2010, in a friendly match against the Côte d'Ivoire.

Mario Balotelli was born in Palermo, Sicily, to Ghanaian immigrants Thomas and Rose Barwuah. The family moved to Bagnolo Mella in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, shortly after he was born.^[7] As an infant, he had life-threatening complications with his intestines which led to a series of operations, although his condition had improved by 1992. Mario's health problems and the family's cramped living conditions meant the Barwuahs decided to ask for the help of social services who recommended that he be fostered.^[7] In 1993, the Barwuah family agreed to entrust the three-year-old boy to Francesco and Silvia Balotelli,^[7] with the legal move formalized by the Court of Brescia.^[8] When Mario Balotelli became famous, his biological parents asked for his return. He later accused them of "glory hunting", stating that they only wanted him back because of the prominence he had gained.^[9] According to Law 91 of 5 February 1992,^[10] Balotelli had to wait until his 18th birthday to request Italian citizenship, as the Balotellis had not adopted him, and he officially gained citizenship on 13 August 2008.^[11]
He has three biological siblings, Abigail, Enoch and Angel.^[12] Enoch Barwuah, two years his junior, had a trial at English Premier League side Stoke City in December 2011
 aving had an unsuccessful trial with FC Barcelona at the age of 15^[15] Balotelli was signed by F.C. Internazionale Milano in 2006 on loan with a pre-set price of €150,000 to co-own the player.^[16] In June 2007 Inter excised the option and purchased another half for additional €190,000.^[16] He made his first team and Serie A debut on 16 December 2007 replacing David Suazo in a 2–0 win against Cagliari.^[17] Three days later he featured in the starting lineup in a Coppa Italia match against Reggina, scoring two goals in a 4–1 win.^[18] Balotelli gained national attention after he scored two goals against Juventus in the return leg of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, being instrumental in a 3–2 away win for Inter.^[19] His first Serie A goal then came in April 2008 in a 2–0 away win against Atalanta.^[20] Inter went on to win the 2007–08 Serie A.^[21] Balotelli was a substitute in the 2008 Supercoppa Italiana final against A.S. Roma. He came on as a replacement for Luís Figo, scoring in the 83rd minute. Inter went on to win the final 6–5 on penalties after the match ended 2–2.
In November 2008 he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–3 draw against Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta, becoming the youngest Inter player (at 18 years and 85 days) to score in the Champions League. This beat the previous record set by Obafemi Martins at 18 years and 145 days.^[22] In April 2009 Balotelli scored Inter's goal in a 1–1 draw with Juventus and was racially abused by Juventus fans throughout the game, including chants such as "Black Italians do not exist". This led to Massimo Moratti saying that he would have pulled the team off the pitch if he had been present.^[23] The racist chants were also condemned by Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and Juventus were given a one game home-fan ban because of the incident.^[24] Inter won Serie A for the fourth time in a row.^[25]
In his second season with Inter, Balotelli had a number of disciplinary problems, most notably involving head coach José Mourinho who excluded him from the first team in the second half of January 2009. Earlier that season Mourinho had accused Balotelli of showing a lack of effort in training^[26] stating "as far as I'm concerned, a young boy like him cannot allow himself to train less than people like Figo, Córdoba, and Zanetti."^[27] Balotelli continued to be the subject of racist chants throughout the season, becoming the focus of Juventus fans even during games not involving Inter, leading to Juventus being fined twice and the club ultimately punished with a partial stadium closure.^[28]
Balotelli's disciplinary problems, and his difficult relationship with Mourinho, continued in the 2009–10 season. In November Inter drew 1–1 against Roma and Mourinho criticized his players, even going as far as saying that Balotelli "came close to a zero rating".^[29] The young striker again incurred the wrath of Juve (Juventus) fans in the heated Derby d'Italia away encounter with Juventus on 5 December 2009 which Inter lost 2–1. When he was elbowed by Juve midfielder Felipe Melo in the shoulder he fell on the pitch clutching his face and was promptly booked, while Melo was sent off for a second yellow card. The incident sparked a fiery altercation between teammate Thiago Motta and Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.^[30][31] The tension between player and manager reached its peak on the eve of the UEFA Champions League second leg against Chelsea after the young striker was not called-up, following an altercation with Mourinho.^[32] Despite Inter's 1–0 win at Stamford Bridge, London, Balotelli was criticized by several senior players including captain Javier Zanetti^[33] and veteran defender Marco Materazzi as well as his own agent.^[34] In March he came under heavy criticism from fans after he publicly sported an A.C. Milan (Inter's cross-town rivals) jersey on the Italian show Striscia la Notizia.^[35]

Balotelli has gained a reputation for being an extrovert character and many of his off field antics have been reported in the press. Paying homage to Balotelli's extrovert activities, Manchester City supporters often serenade a song with lyrics referring to his antics^[81] and musician Tinchy Stryder recorded a song in Balotelli's honour.^[82]
Within days of joining Manchester City, Balotelli was involved in a car crash.^[83] It was reported that Balotelli was carrying £5000 cash at the time - and that when a police officer asked why he had such a large sum of cash Balotelli replied: "Because I am rich".^[84] Off field activities which have been reported include driving into a women's prison in Italy^[85] and throwing darts at a youth team player during a training ground 'prank'.^[86] Balotelli has also been subjected to tabloid rumours about him confronting a bully in a school after querying why a young City fan was not at school^[87] and giving £1000 to a homeless man on the streets of Manchester,^[88] allegations which subsequently turned out to be false.^[89][90] Video footage before City's Europa League clash with Dinamo Kiev in March 2011 showed Balotelli requiring assistance to put on a training bib,^[91] an incident which teammate Edin Džeko was seen mimicking the following week in the warm up before City's game at Chelsea.^[92] In September 2011, Balotelli was reportedly seen using his iPad whilst on the substitutes' bench for Italy during their game with the Faroe Islands,^[93] although he denied this on a visit to a prison later that week.^[94] Balotelli has turned the garden of his Manchester home into a racetrack for quadbikes.^[95] Balotelli celebrated his goal against Manchester United in October 2011 by unveiling a shirt with the words: "Why always me?" on it - a celebration which seemingly disputes the accuracy of newspaper reports.^[96] The day before the match a firework was set off in Balotelli's home, and later that week he was unveiled as an ambassador for firework safety.^[97][98] On 5 November 2011, at the annual fireworks display at Edenbridge, Kent, a 12 m tall effigy of Balotelli was burned.^[99]
In December 2011, Balotelli broke a 48-hour curfew before City's game against Chelsea to go to a curry house, although he "was not drinking alcohol, signed autographs, posed for pictures with fellow diners and was involved in a mock sword-fight using rolling pins". The club launched an internal investigation and he could face disciplinary action.^[100] In the same month, it was reported that Balotelli visited his local church where he donated £200 and then visited a pub in Chorlton-cum-Hardy where he bought a £1000 round.^[101] Balotelli's jaunt and donation to church was later confirmed by the church's priest.^[102]
In another infamous moment in the career of Balotelli, the Manchester City striker made an unexpected appearance at Andrea Stramaccioni's first press conference as Inter Milan coach on March 2012. Balotelli entered the press room, shook Stramaccioni's hand and those of other people at the podium before leaving the press conference amidst some laughter from the crowd.^[103]