Why Always Me? - The Biography of Mario Balotelli, City's Legendary Striker. Frank Worrall
player on loan.’
The war of words did not affect Mario. He now simply got on with the job in hand – namely to ensure that he progressed swiftly and impressively through the youth ranks and on to the first team squad. As long-time Balotelli fan and observer Michael Crigliano explains on YouTube, ‘He [Mario] showed his potential in their under-17 squad, known as the Allievi Nazionali, then joined the Primavera under-20 team at the age of 16, quickly becoming a key player.
‘He scored a tie-breaking penalty in a Primavera league final 1-0 win over Sampdoria. These performances prompted high praise from several high-ranking people including Inter chairman Massimo Moratti.’
So it was no big surprise that he was fast-tracked to the first team squad. Six months after signing him full-time – and still aged just 17 – Inter decided he was good enough and big enough to withstand the physical and mental rigours of Serie A. Mario had realised his dream. Not only was he in the first team squad, but he had impressed boss Mancini so much that he made his first team debut.
OK, it was only a cameo appearance but it demonstrated the faith that Mancini (and Moratti) had in the boy wonder that he was brought on at all. Mario appeared in the 90th minute of the match at Cagliari with Inter Milan already leading by two goals to nil. Wearing his now famed No 45 shirt, Balotelli replaced Honduran international David Suazo.
He made a few deft touches but did not really have enough time to make any major impact. But getting a touch of the first team and playing alongside stars such as Maicon, Esteban Cambiasso and Walter Samuel certainly helped his confidence and development. The victory was hardly unexpected – Inter went into the match as Serie A leaders while their hapless hosts were rooted at the bottom.
ESPN summed up the result, saying, ‘Internazionale extended their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points after two second-half goals helped them see off plucky Cagliari. The visitors were unable to find a way through in the first half, but took the lead after 57 minutes through Julio Cruz before former Cagliari striker David Suazo finished off his old side 11 minutes from time. The win saw Inter capitalise on Roma’s goalless draw with Torino, while Cagliari remained rooted to the bottom of the table following a third consecutive league defeat.’
When asked about Balotelli later, Mancini declared himself ‘pleased’ and added, ‘He is a boy with a lot of promise and I was glad to be able to introduce him gently. You will be hearing a lot more about him – he has a big future.’
That last bit would certainly prove to be correct – by 2012 Balotelli would arguably be one of the five most famous players on the planet!
‘Mario himself was pleased to have got on the pitch and made his debut,’ I was told by an Internazionale source. ‘This is what he had dreamed of all those years ago and what he had worked towards. Many people see him as a loose cannon but I can tell you that he has always been very focused and determined to get what he wants. He is not as maverick as you might believe.’
Just a few days later Mario truly marked his arrival on the scene by scoring twice as Inter won 4-1 at Reggina in the Italian Cup. Now he had really come of age. He wore the No 44 shirt for the match and shared Man of the Match honours with co-striker Hernan Crespo who would, of course, later in his career play for Chelsea.
Inter’s own website, www.inter.it.com, talked excitedly of the impact made by Mario on his first team full debut, ‘Inter’s road to a fourth consecutive Tim Cup final began with a 4-1 victory over Reggina at the Stadio Granillo. Hernan Crespo opened the scoring early on, with Mario Balotelli adding a second on the half hour. Leonardo Pettinari halved Inter’s lead shortly after half time, but Santiago Solari capped a fine performance to restore the two-goal advantage.
‘Balotelli completed the rout in the closing stages with his second of the game to make it a full debut to remember. Roberto Mancini fielded a mixture of experience and youth in Reggio Calabria, handing starting debuts to Inter Primavera pair Fatic and Balotelli in a 4-4-2 formation that included Rivas and Pelé, and bringing on Puccio, Maaroufi and Napoli in the second half.’
It certainly was ‘a full debut to remember’ for Mancini’s protégé. Two goals and praise galore – with Mancini patting him on the back as he came off the pitch and later describing his display as ‘superb’. Mancini was no late convert to the Balotelli cause – he had been convinced since he first watched him as a 15-year-old in the Inter youth team that the boy would go on to great things and he was also convinced that Mario would deliver the goods for him.
The first instalment of that expected payback had come early – on his full debut. ‘Mario was buzzing after the game,’ I was told. ‘He enjoyed the acclaim after scoring the two goals and now just wanted it all to continue. He wished the match hadn’t ended – he wanted to carry on playing!’
But it would be two goals he scored in the next round of the Italian Cup that would really propel him into the national consciousness. Mario was on target against the mighty Juventus as Inter went on to win 3-2 in Turin to book their place in the semi-finals.
The date was 8 January, 2008, and the Italian papers and blogs led almost as one with the headline ‘A Star Is Born’. The first leg at the San Siro had ended 2-2 and Mancini decided Mario would be his secret weapon in the return, choosing him ahead of David Suazo.
Many pundits believed Mancini would now approach the tie cautiously but he surprised them by sending out Balotelli in an attacking line-up. Soccerlens journalist Marco Pantanella highlighted the belief that Mario was set for greatness with his piece on the 3-2 win. He said that, yes, a star had been born and added, ‘His name is Mario. Born in Palermo in August 1990 from Ghanaian parents, he is officially adopted by the Balotellis…His height is 1m 89, his weight 88kg, his touch and technique already reminiscent of the greats of football history. On Wednesday this week, he officially became the Inter Milan hero when the Nerazzurri knocked Juventus out of the Coppa Italia, thanks to two goals by the young striker and a penalty shot by Cruz. Some might say he is Inter’s response to a certain young Brazilian recently acquired by AC Milan, but Mario Balotelli is unique in his own way and this week, has proven that your name doesn’t have to be Alexandre Pato for everyone to say “A Star is Born in Milan”…
‘It must be a real relief for Roberto Mancini, to know that if (for some obscure impossible science-fiction-like reason) Zlatan Ibrahimovic were to stop scoring all these goals for Inter, there’s someone on the bench ready to step in. And shine very very brightly, if only you give him a chance…’
The goals that made the Italian football nation sit up came in the 10th and 53rd minutes. For the first, Mario beat a defender and hammered the ball home, his powerful physique paying off. For the second, he took the ball with his back to the goal, turned and powered it home. It was a terrific strike, earning him the adulation of his team-mates as they mobbed him in admiration.
The official Inter website was also very complimentary about the two goals, saying, ‘Inter edged Juventus 3-2 in a pulsating clash at the Stadio Olimpico to complete a 5-4 aggregate victory and set up a Coppa Italia semi-final meeting with Lazio. Inter Primavera’s 17-year-old striker Mario Balotelli gave the Nerazzurri a dream start to the third “derby d’Italia” of the season, controlling Maniche’s ball into the box and shrugging off a challenge from Birindelli before sidefooting past Belardi for his third goal in the competition…
‘Inter were back in front in the 54th minute when “Super-mario” Balotelli collected Stankovic’s ball into the area, swivelled and thrashed his shot into the top right corner.’
Mario Balotelli was 17 years old and wasn’t just making ripples – no, he was arriving on the scene like a juggernaut. He was big and confident and refused to be jostled off the ball by the equally big but far more cynical defenders that Italy is famed for. He was a boy in a man’s body – a tough, physically imposing man. In that sense, he reminded many pundits in Italy at the time of Cristiano Ronaldo, who shares his physical attributes and eye for goal.
Naturally enough, Mario’s first goal in Serie A would soon follow. It came in April 2008 in the 2–0 away win at Atalanta. By now he was back wearing