Mario Balotelli’s brother, Enock Barwuah, reveals why the Italy striker made that pose against Germany in Euro 2012 and is worried the Brescia star “only plays at 30 per cent” of his potential.

SuperMario was born in Palermo to parents from Ghana, but was raised by an Italian family, taking on their name Balotelli, even if the adoption was never made official.

His biological brother Enock remains very close and had his own less than successful playing career, but gave some insight into Balo’s life.

Mario Balotelli’s brother, Enock Barwuah, reveals why the Italy striker made that pose against Germany in Euro 2012 and is worried the Brescia star “only plays at 30 per cent” of his potential.

SuperMario was born in Palermo to parents from Ghana, but was raised by an Italian family, taking on their name Balotelli, even if the adoption was never made official.

His biological brother Enock remains very close and had his own less than successful playing career, but gave some insight into Balo’s life.

“Mario gave me a Porto jersey he got after Manchester City-Porto, so when we were on the PlayStation together and I’d score, I always celebrated like Hulk,” Enock told Calciomercato.com.

“That’s why he did that Hulk-style celebration when scoring against Germany at the Euros. I’m better than him at videogames, but he gets angry, throws the joystick and makes up excuses, like saying his eyes hurt.

“It’s not easy to live with Mario, because he’s so full of energy and never wants to stay still. If you are having a rest, he will come and wake you up. He’s always been so positive and that optimism helped me a lot in life.”

However, his brother also had advice for the striker who is struggling to make an impact at Brescia.

“The one thing I would like to tell Mario is that if he played at 100 per cent, he’d be unstoppable. Instead, he only plays at 30 per cent. He’s very sensitive, so if the slightest thing goes wrong, he lets his head drop and doesn’t perform. It’s not easy to play with that much pressure on your shoulders.”

It was hoped the return to his hometown of Brescia would help Balotelli rediscover his confidence, but that hasn’t been the case.

“We were both so happy when he signed for Brescia. Mario didn’t think twice, he accepted immediately and dropped all the other proposals. Unfortunately, everything he says or does gets painted in a negative light. That’s why he wrote ‘Why always me?’ on his shirt.

“I get so angry when I see Mario being the victim of racist abuse, I’d like to be by his side on the pitch to support him. I think harsher penalties are needed against these fans, but you can’t force someone to change their minds.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tickets Kit Collector