If Balotelli really was a genius he would surely still be at City. The truth is that, as a footballer, he's simply unprofessional
By Gary Neville PUBLISHED: 22:26 GMT, 2 February 2013 | UPDATED: 22:26 GMT, 2 February 2013
Plenty of people have been using the word maverick to describe Mario Balotelli after he left Manchester City to join AC Milan. It is a word that does capture his sense of individualism, his desire to stand out from the crowd. But to describe someone as a maverick, whether it’s an artist, a rock star or a footballer, suggests to me that there is also a hint of genius about them. But the reality is that when Balotelli left last week, there was no hysteria or anguish that the Premier League was losing one of the game’s great players, not even from Manchester City fans. For some people there was a sense of disappointment he had gone and that we wouldn’t see his story reach a happy conclusion in England. But from what I’ve read from comments on the local newspaper’s website, most are fairly pragmatic about his departure. Many say he had become more trouble than he was worth.
Headed in different directions: Manchester City sold the unpredictable Mario Balotelli to AC Milan after an undulating two-and-a-half-year spell with the club Because Balotelli wasn’t a maverick, he was an unprofessional footballer. Fighting with your team-mates and manager, getting sent off in crucial games, going out the night before a match and causing a disturbance the evening before a big game are all examples of that. Of course, he has talent. But if he was touched with genius, he would still be at Manchester City. There’s no doubt he had his moments, some of them excellent. But at Manchester City they weren’t delivered consistently enough. You always have to weigh it up with characters such as Balotelli: is the negativity worth it because of what he’s giving the team? And Manchester City have come to the conclusion it’s not. I have always said you do have to show some tolerance towards young people who make their mistakes in public, particularly today, when everything is recorded on social media and there’s no private place. So maybe we shouldn’t give up on him just yet. His displays at Euro 2012 were excellent. Everyone cites the semi-final against Germany, where his instinctive finishing won the game. But I was more impressed with how he played against England. He surprised me with a selfless, disciplined performance in which he constantly ran the channels and held the ball up for team-mates. It wasn’t as eye-catching but it was excellent and I wondered if we’d see a different Balotelli this season.
World beater: Balotelli was in unstoppable form against Germany in Euro 2012, dovetailing brilliantly with Andrea Pirlo in the 2-0 semi-final victory It wasn’t to be. Perhaps it took being surrounded by his compatriots and in an intensive training camp to bring the best out of him. And perhaps AC Milan, with the emphasis on training camps away from home, sometimes for two days before a match, will suit him better if there is an issue regarding concentration and focusing. But if he’s looking to be on the same level as Sergio Aguero, Robin van Persie, Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, then this is his last chance. All of those players will have made mistakes in their career but at some point the penny dropped. I don’t think he’s at that level but people I know talk about him as though he could be one day. He has now worked for two of the best, most disciplined managers in football in Jose Mourinho and Roberto Mancini, and both have concluded he is not worth the trouble. And I wonder whether there is a position for characters such as Balotelli at the top level of sport any more. I’m not sure there is. You can have a strong personality but if you can’t combine that with a disciplined approach to your life off the pitch and your attitude towards the team on it, then in the modern game you will quickly fall away from the elite.
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By Gary Neville PUBLISHED: 22:26 GMT, 2 February 2013 | UPDATED: 22:26 GMT, 2 February 2013
Plenty of people have been using the word maverick to describe Mario Balotelli after he left Manchester City to join AC Milan. It is a word that does capture his sense of individualism, his desire to stand out from the crowd. But to describe someone as a maverick, whether it’s an artist, a rock star or a footballer, suggests to me that there is also a hint of genius about them. But the reality is that when Balotelli left last week, there was no hysteria or anguish that the Premier League was losing one of the game’s great players, not even from Manchester City fans. For some people there was a sense of disappointment he had gone and that we wouldn’t see his story reach a happy conclusion in England. But from what I’ve read from comments on the local newspaper’s website, most are fairly pragmatic about his departure. Many say he had become more trouble than he was worth.
Headed in different directions: Manchester City sold the unpredictable Mario Balotelli to AC Milan after an undulating two-and-a-half-year spell with the club Because Balotelli wasn’t a maverick, he was an unprofessional footballer. Fighting with your team-mates and manager, getting sent off in crucial games, going out the night before a match and causing a disturbance the evening before a big game are all examples of that. Of course, he has talent. But if he was touched with genius, he would still be at Manchester City. There’s no doubt he had his moments, some of them excellent. But at Manchester City they weren’t delivered consistently enough. You always have to weigh it up with characters such as Balotelli: is the negativity worth it because of what he’s giving the team? And Manchester City have come to the conclusion it’s not. I have always said you do have to show some tolerance towards young people who make their mistakes in public, particularly today, when everything is recorded on social media and there’s no private place. So maybe we shouldn’t give up on him just yet. His displays at Euro 2012 were excellent. Everyone cites the semi-final against Germany, where his instinctive finishing won the game. But I was more impressed with how he played against England. He surprised me with a selfless, disciplined performance in which he constantly ran the channels and held the ball up for team-mates. It wasn’t as eye-catching but it was excellent and I wondered if we’d see a different Balotelli this season.
World beater: Balotelli was in unstoppable form against Germany in Euro 2012, dovetailing brilliantly with Andrea Pirlo in the 2-0 semi-final victory It wasn’t to be. Perhaps it took being surrounded by his compatriots and in an intensive training camp to bring the best out of him. And perhaps AC Milan, with the emphasis on training camps away from home, sometimes for two days before a match, will suit him better if there is an issue regarding concentration and focusing. But if he’s looking to be on the same level as Sergio Aguero, Robin van Persie, Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, then this is his last chance. All of those players will have made mistakes in their career but at some point the penny dropped. I don’t think he’s at that level but people I know talk about him as though he could be one day. He has now worked for two of the best, most disciplined managers in football in Jose Mourinho and Roberto Mancini, and both have concluded he is not worth the trouble. And I wonder whether there is a position for characters such as Balotelli at the top level of sport any more. I’m not sure there is. You can have a strong personality but if you can’t combine that with a disciplined approach to your life off the pitch and your attitude towards the team on it, then in the modern game you will quickly fall away from the elite.
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