Former FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio says Mario Balotelli was his ‘favourite’ Azzurri player but hints some of his teammates were ‘vetoing him.’
Despite two productive seasons with French club Nice, Balotelli has only recently returned to the Italy fold under new Coach Roberto Mancini.
He did not feature in the Nazionale’s ill-fated World Cup qualifying campaign, which saw them fail to reach the finals in Russia.
Former FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio says Mario Balotelli was his ‘favourite’ Azzurri player but hints some of his teammates were ‘vetoing him.’
Despite two productive seasons with French club Nice, Balotelli has only recently returned to the Italy fold under new Coach Roberto Mancini.
He did not feature in the Nazionale’s ill-fated World Cup qualifying campaign, which saw them fail to reach the finals in Russia.
“I sent Ventura to watch him in Nice,” Tavecchio told Gazzetta dello Sport when asked whether things could have been different had Balotelli featured in the play-off defeat by Sweden.
“He came back and told me that in the team there were some players vetoing him.
“Mario was my favourite. I was criticised for having admitted it.”
Tavecchio admits the memory of last November’s play-off defeat remains ‘incredible’ to him.
“If you don’t score, you always have problems. But the more I think about it, the more incredible what happened seems.
“In Sweden, they scored the own goal with five of our men in the penalty area and only one of theirs.
“In Milan, I would have gambled everything I had on us winning. I would never have thought we’d miss the World Cup.”
The official, who left his post as FIGC President following the Swedendefeat, says too many Italians underestimated their opponents, who have since reached the World Cup Round of 16.
“Does it hurt to see Swedenget through to the next round? On the contrary, it gives us a great excuse.
“Too many people underestimated them. I repeated it as soon as the draw was made that it wouldn’t go well for us.
“They didn’t believe me and they maintained that drawing Greece would have been worse.”