Vincenzo Montella claims Mario Balotelli wants to return to Italy squad: ‘I want to help him.’
The Italian striker has scored four goals in the last four games with Adana Demirspor and is targeting a return to the Azzurri squad.
“He’s finding his best form and he is motivated by a great goal: return to the national team. I will do everything to help him,” Montella told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We talk a lot and since I’m here, he trains and always behaves well, he has this great desire. He is not yet 100% fit but wants to get there soon to be an option for Italy.”
The Turkish club appointed Montella in the summer.
“I want to put behind me an unlucky time and recent disappointments,” the coach said.
“In this experience, I am expressing more my emotions. I am much more myself when I am abroad than in Italy, perhaps because I don’t feel too judged.”
Balotelli, 31, made his Italy debut in August 2010 and has 14 goals in 36 appearances with the Azzurri.
He played his last competitive game with Italy in 2018 in a 1-1 draw against Poland in the UEFA Nations League.
He has only played three games with the national team under Roberto Mancini, scoring one goal against Saudi Arabia.
Balotelli, a former Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter and Milan striker, spent the last season in Serie B at Monza, but could manage just six goals in 14 appearances.
He has already scored four goals in eight games in Turkey, where his contract expires in 2024.
Nostra intervista a #Montella: "Io, rinato in Turchia. E aiuterò #Balotelli a tornare in azzurro" https://t.co/qZKv5Ukt1J
— GazzaMondo (@ETGazzetta) October 8, 2021
If Mancini is so desperate that they need to call up this man-child, then we will all know the direction that Italy are heading in. Back to the mediocrity of post 2006 and post 2012. Balotelli should never set foot anywhere near Coverciano. This boy has been gifted too many chances and he has wasted every single one of them. He lives off that one game against Germany in Euro 2012. The boy even couldn’t be motivated or turn up for Brescia! The hometown of his foster family! If he doesn’t care about his hometown club, he will not care about the national team. Good riddance and I hope he retires soon. It’s a shame young black Italians like Moise Kean look up to this loser as a role model when he is anything but that.
Let’s just all forget the name Balotelli for the good of everyone.
This guy has had enough chances, more than anybody will get in two lifetimes.
Lol, Montella trolling.
Maybe Montella you should spend your time elsewhere. You will only be disappointed like all the other people who tried to help Balotelli.
Say what you will but nobody professes thier love for the Italy shirt more than Mario Balotelli. Nobody.
I have never seen another Italy player do it more than him.
Closest that I can remember was maybe Baggio and Vieri who purposely chose to go to lesser teams to find playing time so they could be called to the World Cup (Baggio to Bologna for 1998 and Vieri to Monaco in 2006)
Hmmm…I’m still 50/50 on a Balotelli return to the Nazionale. Something transforms when he’s wearing the jersey. Italy need more fire power up front. A more humble, mature Super Mario might be the answer. Ppl grow n change ya know