The good, the bad, and the Balotelli

Date: 31st August 2014 at 9:30am
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Why always me?

On October 23, 2011, Mario Balotelli netted his side’s first and second goals in Manchester City’s 6-1 slaughter of crosstown rivals Manchester United. He promptly celebrated by revealing a shirt that has now become forever associated with him. The then 21-year-old never fully offered an explanation behind the statement, but rather alluded to his perceived persecution by the English press due to his antics both on and off the pitch.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/6b5mJop_HMw[/youtube]

Fast forward nearly three years, and the enigmatic striker is now back in England for a second spell in the Premier League, this time with last year’s runners-up, Liverpool. Prior to that he had spent a season and a half with AC Milan, the side that he described as his “boyhood club.” However, his return to Italy did not turn out how Super Mario had planned, both due to circumstances within and outside his control. Liverpool supporters will now hope that, at 24, he will be able to fill the shoes of their former and controversial striker, Luis Suarez.

Luis Suarez LiverpoolBrendan Rodgers certainly had his hands full with the fiery Uruguayan star. The 27-year-old attempted to force an exit last summer, only to ultimately be retained at Anfield. And just when fans thought that last season’s European Golden Shoe winner had put his naughty past behind him — which included two biting incidents and an occurrence of apparent racial abuse of Patrice Evra — he just could not help but sink his teeth into Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder during this summer’s World Cup.

In any case, Suarez’s departure saw the Reds linked with a slew of attackers across Europe, finally settling on Italy’s bad-boy Balotelli.

His new coach has come out and stated that he’s well worth the risk. His agent has made it clear that this will be the last chance for Balotelli to establish himself as a top player in Europe. Simply put, should Super Mario be able to finally put his personal issues aside and let his football do the talking, he will have no difficulty in both endearing himself to the Merseyside fans and silencing the large swaths of his critics.

Mario Balotelli - LiverpoolRodgers and Balotelli do have the potential of a match made in heaven, given the Liverpool coach’s success in managing the aforementioned Suarez last season. However, the cornerstone of a great partnership is both sides doing what is expected of each other, and the onus will be on Balotelli to leave all antics behinds and instead have people’s tongues wagging about his exploits on the pitch.

Balotelli will have some huge shoes to fill and will not have much time to settle in, as the general feeling around Anfield is one of wariness and suspicion. Indeed, despite some of his mischievousness, his predecessor did give his all for Liverpool during his stay in England. Yet, in spite of his flashes of brilliance, the same, however, cannot be said so far about Mario Balotelli with his time in Italy and previous Premier League stint with Manchester City.

So, here’s the €20 million question: From looney Luis to mad Mario, have Liverpool stepped out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire?

Unfortunately, judging on his past antics, the answer appears to be a resounding yes.

Follow Michelle Bonsu on Twitter: @MichelleB289

 

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