Mario Balotelli insists he had a chance to play at the World Cup with Italy, but notes ‘people remember about me only when the Azzurri lose.’
Balotelli had received a call-up for a get-together at Coverciano at the end of January, boosting his hopes to be part of the World Cup play-offs squad in March. However, coach Roberto Mancini omitted the ex-Milan and Inter striker from his 33-man squad list.
The Azzurri eventually lost against North Macedonia in the semi-finals, failing to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in a row. It had never happened in the history of Italian football.
“It hurts, but the matter is not the call-up against North Macedonia or Turkey. The World Cup is in December and I could have been part of the team,” Balotelli told Sky Sport Italia.
“I think I had a chance and I’ve lost an important opportunity. To see Italy out of the World Cup is too bad.”
Ciro Immobile has failed to replicate his Lazio form with the national team and the Azzurri have been struggling to score goals during the second part of the World Cup qualification path after the Euros, raising questions on whether Balotelli would be useful for the team.
“I am only missing when Italy lose. It’s easy to say it now because, before the match, nobody was thinking about me,” said the striker.
“I watched the match against North Macedonia, we had some good chances. I am quite good in front of the goal. It doesn’t mean we’d win with me on the pitch, but we’d had good chances to score.”
What’s his relationship with Mancini and is he happy that he will remain in charge of the Azzurri?
“I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I have affection for him,” admitted Balotelli.
“I am happy that he will remain in charge because he has already won the Euros. People are disappointed, but we can’t forget what the coach has achieved. Italy have a strong team, but nobody expected us to become European champions. Mancini deserves to stay.”
La delusione di #Balotelli per l'Italia: "Manco solo quando si perde… Sì, avrei potuto far gol" https://t.co/TzeI3GX4Ks
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) March 30, 2022
Because you are the worst loser on planet earth
I have never anticipated a player’s retirement more than when this idiot hangs up his boots.
Nevermind what he does off the field. On the field ,five times better then Immobile,Bellotti infront of goal. He’s a game changer and Italy had none with no Chiesa and Spinnazolla. He’s coached by Montella now and should of started upfront. Do I bring him back now? No, it’s too late. You might as well go young. Watching that game against Macedonia, it looked like only Mancini from Roma wanted to win. He’s a stud and should be future captain
@FORZA MOGGI- (Because you are the worst loser on planet earth) Laugh at yourself bro.
MARIO people and daughter will be proud of him till eternity, because he already settled them for a very long time, I don’t think they can be lack for everything. And you? Come up with your real name and lets see what google will come up with.
People talk about Mario all over the world , but you sit behind a computer hating on someone who is 100 times successful than you, you are wasting your life away with hate and bitterness. I pray God will save you.
We say he causes trouble, we say he is a bad egg, rotten apple, but all these strikers we praise everyday what did they do ? all the teams in Italy group are minors, believe it or not, and these guys cant score and here we are.
Everyone talking negative about him forget how winning games and scoring goal and goes to World Cup are everything and more important than deeds he does at the off field lol.
Mario isn’t the solution because he’s shown time and again that he’s a liability. Yes, he would have been better than the current strikers but he’s a loose Canon who could have disappeared during WC games. Everything can be said in hindsight but Italy won a Euros without this guy.
“People remember about me, only when Italy lose’”- Not true. Many of use remember the 2 goals vs Germany @Euro2012. The 2nd was one of the nicest goals (and celebrations) I’ve ever seen. We needed a moment like that vs North Macedonia.
@Ralph a pitty you LOL and believe me, im more successful than mario. At least i have people respect
Moggi you sound like a joke.
Moggi did you really know they respect you and not talking bad about you behind your back? People don’t respect you here dude, wake up
He definitely still better than wtf Joao Pedro.
Balo is right. In front of goal, he would have been better than any of the strikers on that squad.
If that was not enough for a call-up, I dunno what is.
@ Adriano.
Yep I agree he is a game changer and should of played even as a sub.
I been saying that Balo should’ve been called up for the play-offs. He’s the only striker Italy have that can actually shoot from 30 meters out and score. We needed someone with some character up front.
If he card that much he’d have behaved during his career and not had to go to serie b or c wherever it was! Truth is he has wasted himself and in doing so he has hurt Italy ! That said they did alright without him winning the euros
Foolish to not have him the squad with the current crop of available number 9’s. Foolish not to have him on the field.
Foolish.
@Tarde 82…. Said no one during the Euros and Italy won it. Balo is a good striker but not a team player. Italy needs a team.
Balotelli should have played v North Macedonia ahead of João Pedro, who is not Italian and is a terrible player.
@Ralph
Who talks about Balotelli? Apart from the odd article about him normally to tell us hes been sent off or not turned up for training or some nonesence.
You speak of settling his family for life for this i congratulate him, the guys the luckest in football and his luck falls only on timing. Had he been playing when Italy had a Baggio, Del Piero or a Totti i their primes Balotelli would have been in serie C and we would never have been subjected to him. It was Italy’ failure to structure youth football that has allowed Balotelli the hype he once had no other nation would have given him the time of day like we have.
He scored 1 outstanding goal all those years ago but between then and now theres just a whole lot of failure.
We don’t need to speak about what an absolute idiot he is off the field coz he does more than enough on the field to see what an idiot he is. Your one of those guys that thinks he gets sent off for what he does. Why don’t you google search ‘stupid things balotelli does’ and then google search ‘balotelli great goals’ pretty sure the later will be about a min long and the first about 8 hours. Get a grip man!
He has literally been sent packing (sacked) by every team he’s played for so the only people talking are people who are subjected to him. There isn’t a single manager who has had the ‘luck’ of working with him who hasn’t had problems with him, so you tell us what the issue is.
I think I’ll be talking about you more for the ridiculous statements you made on here than I will about Balotelli unique ability to literally get sacked from every club, o o and wait that great goal he scored waaaaaay back in 2012!!!
Tell me something how does a top players value go from ‘never that much’ to ‘free’ transfers all through his 20s? Messi stayed at Barca for loyalty BUT also coz no one could afford him. Ronaldo value did that go down at all?
I agree whole heartedly with Tarde 82 !!! It was Damn foolish not to take Balotelli … Especially when you consider he took Joao Pedro instead !!! WTF !!!! Be damned Mancini I had so much respect for you after you won the euros. But you continued to throw out those tired weak strikers of ours game after game knowing damn well they can’t score goals exclamation exclamation exclamation !!! When you had Raspadori Scamacca you could’ve taken Moise Kean as welll !!! I’m so pissed off. Italy broke my heart for years ago shame on you , you broke my heart again now shame on me, im throwing all my support over to the USA team now , you don’t deserve me as a fan !!! I blame three clowns for this debacle. Mancini first no Jorginho first then Mancini than Berardi !!!! USA USA USA !!! I will say this in Italian because I am 100% a time , che dissgraciatto a fatto !!! RIP AZZURRI !!!!
@Ermanno Che cor ingrato che sei! Broke your heart for years? Really? 8 months ago he won the European Cup… Something that hadn’t happened for almost as long as England winning something. Behave yourself. And in Italian, it would be “che disgrazia hai fatto” so go learn that, too. Vai a quel paese, vai.
@Ermanno – keep supporting USA, the Azzurri don’t need you.
@Bukruqul – well said