Enigmatic Italian striker Mario Balotelli has said that Euro 2012 was the greatest time of his footballing career to date.
The Azzurri lost 4-0 to Spain in the final, but the then 21-year-old scored three goals prior to that defeat, including a double against Germany in the semi-finals which also sparked an iconic goal celebration where he went topless.
“The Euros, without doubt,” Balotelli said on DAZN. “My debut I will put after that.
“The celebration against Germany? I was a bit more thin, now I am more fat. If I lose a kilo, I am perfect!”
Balotelli, who is now 31 years old and plays for Turkish club Adana Demirspor, was glad to be in the Italy training camp in January and despite not making the squad for the latest qualifiers, he still wishes the best for his international teammates.
“I was really happy,” he said. “It was a training camp, but it was exciting because I didn’t expect it. I expected everything but that.
“I hope Italy goes to the World Cup. North Macedonia is weaker on paper, but they are not to be underestimated. And Turkey should not be underestimated.”
