#1 Mario Balotelli
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Oh, Mario. Personally, I love Mario Balotelli, absolutely love him; how can you not like a guy who uses youth team players to practise his darts, or someone who acts like putting on a bib is harder than quantum mechanics?
But Mario’s career so far has been nothing short of a movie which makes you chuckle in a way you don’t want your friends to see. Jose Mourinho and Roberto Mancini, who both managed the Italian international, spoke fondly of the striker as one of the most talented players in football. But they were unable to man-manage him during his time under the duo.
Most of his career has been littered by brilliance on the pitch, followed by headlines on the back pages. The first goal for Inter Milan in the Champions League was followed by his falling out with Jose Mourinho, 'the' brilliant goal for Inter in Serie A was followed by him throwing his jersey to the ground after the semi-final with Barcelona, from scoring against Manchester United to lighting up firecrackers in his own bathroom…you get the drift.
Sadly for Super Mario, the Ballon d’Or he so craved, and perhaps his talent deserved, is further away now at the age of 26 (supposed to be the age around which a footballer peaks) than it has been at any point in his whole career.
As Roberto Mancini put it, “If Mario is not one of the best players in the world it will be his fault because he has everything”. It is.
