Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli

Unfortunately, following a series of spates with coaching staff and a pompous opinion of himself, the young Italian has already shown tendencies that have got a number of people in the country concerned the Nerazzurri youngster could be more trouble than he is worth - not that the young Italian of Ghanaian-extract is a unique case. Historically, Italian football can claim to be more blessed than most in it’s ability to produce eccentric, yet brilliant frontmen - think Ravenelli, Di Canio, Vieri and, of course, Antonio Cassano, just to name a hatful.

Having made his debut in the Italian professional game at the tender age of 15 for Lumezzane in Serie C1, Balotelli quickly drew the attention of the leading clubs with his obvious gift and €340,000 saw him join the Nerazurri in 2007. It was from here that the raw and still immature talent was nurtured until his debut for Inter in December 2007. This quick ascension to the top flight would be commendable whatever club team a hungry seventeen-year-old managed to force his way into but in the case of Super Mario he went that step further.

The team that Balotelli would break his way into was the reigning champions Inter, which boasted a stable of strikers including the likes of world-beaters in Adriano, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Hernan Crespo. Usually young talent tends to be daunted by players of this ilk and a modicum of bravado would be understandable when you have managed to come to the world’s attention at such a tender age. However, Balotelli pushed the dial from ‘confidence’ to ‘conceited’ almost from the get-go.