Inter director Piero Ausilio reveals how the club stole the signature of Mario Balotelli just before he was about to move to Swiss club Bellinzona.
The controversial striker signed for the Nerazzurri as a 16-year-old in the summer of 2006 from then-Serie C1 side Lumezzane, and Ausilio has recounted how the club scrambled to sign the enigmatic Italian international in the nick of time.
“The most dramatic [deal] was that of Balotelli from Lumezzane, signed on the last day of the transfer market,” Ausilio told reporters at the TMW Awards Ceremony.
“He was ready to go to Bellinzona, but his family convinced him of Inter’s project.
“We quickly made an appointment at the hotel, and the curious thing was that he was already so talented but also so lively.
“We proposed to Lumezzane a loan deal, with an option to buy, so we could evaluate Balotelli.
“He started with the Allievi, then after three months got moved up to the Primavera, then seven or eight months after that he was training with the first-team.”
Balotelli now plys his trade with English giants Liverpool, and scored the winner in the 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening.
