shen Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 As much as Balotelli comes across as a bit of a tit, it's easy to forget he hasn't exactly had it easy. Given up for adoption by his birth parents who wanted little to do with him until it became apparent he was going to become a successful footballer, suffered racist abuse from his own supporters in Italy and really quite seriously ill as a toddler with intestinal problems. Considering he's not yet 21 he has actually had quite a rough start. So has Max Gradel, yet he doesn't act like a spoilt and petulant child.
MikeyT Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 He's just a cocky, mardy, up his own arse twat. Can't stand him.
Guest Bilo Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 So has Max Gradel, yet he doesn't act like a spoilt and petulant child. Ahem.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJipteEWvc I'm actually a Gradel fan but his temperament has at times let him down. If he can channel it correctly though, he's a superb player. Some of the best players around have had attacks of petulance on the pitch; Ronaldo and Rooney spring to mind, but if channelled correctly it can be something of an asset.
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 It's pretty clear his team mates don't like him. His manager doesn't either... Unsurprising really! Who the hell walk off the pitch and tells their manager to shut up, any of us would be sacked on the spot! He has shown sweet FA of his supposed talent since signing for city. How anyone can call him entertaining or a legend is beyond me! If he actually started playing well he might get away with a stunt like that, Ronaldo would get away with it because it's more than likely in the same game he would of already scored/set up a goal or gone on to do so. Grade A Idiot and until he starts playing as he supposedly can he's bringing a bad name to the premier league as well. Sweet FA of his talent?! Do me a favour. He was outstanding in the FA Cup final, and has shown glimpses of the incredible raw talent he's got fairly frequently in the Prem, however, he's showcased his temperament just as much. He's a very, very rough diamond. It doesn't mean he's crap. To me he is everything thats wrong with it, no respect, no loyalty, greedy, annoying. Own team mates hate him, managers can't control him, finds its funny to throw darts at youth team players. Blessed with so much talent and makes it look like playing football for 200,000 a week is the hardest and most distressing thing in the world to do. I watch him and I want to turn off my TV and shut myself away from watching premiership football. No loyalty?! The man wears his nation's shirt with pride and get's racial abuse hurled at him fairly frequently from Italians, some of whom don't even regard him as a fellow countryman. "Black Italians do not exist." He's always dealt with that with grace and maturity. He was called up for Ghana at youth level but declined to play for Italy instead, and that shows a tonne of fucking loyalty in my opinion.
shen Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 Ahem.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJipteEWvc I'm actually a Gradel fan but his temperament has at times let him down. If he can channel it correctly though, he's a superb player. Some of the best players around have had attacks of petulance on the pitch; Ronaldo and Rooney spring to mind, but if channelled correctly it can be something of an asset. I stand corrected. He wasn't anywhere near that bad here though, was he?
wurmer Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/04/26/footballer-balotelli-racks-up-10-000-in-parking-fines/
MikeyT Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 http://uk.autoblog.com/2011/04/26/footballer-balotelli-racks-up-10-000-in-parking-fines/ I'm sure a 10k fine is pocket change to him.
gazfox9 Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 Anyone comparing that to Ronaldo or Messi, the difference is when they try tricks like that they pretty much always come off! Can't remember either of them putting in an attempt like that
FoxyPV Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 Needless showboating but at least it gives us something to give off about.
Guest MattP Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 No loyalty?! The man wears his nation's shirt with pride and get's racial abuse hurled at him fairly frequently from Italians, some of whom don't even regard him as a fellow countryman. "Black Italians do not exist." He's always dealt with that with grace and maturity. He was called up for Ghana at youth level but declined to play for Italy instead, and that shows a tonne of fucking loyalty in my opinion. Heard this a bit and I watched him twice for Italy and have never heard any of this, heard it from the Inter fans a few times but thats probably because he acts like a total cock (not condoning it), certaiinly never heard of any other player being racially abused by his own fans. I'm with Seedorf on this. So why did Clarence Seedorf, one of Serie A’s most high-profile black footballers, and José Mourinho, Balotelli’s coach, reject that it was racist? Welcome to a story about black and white that seems filled with shades of grey.Of course, to the Italian FA, there is no grey. Juventus were found guilty of not doing enough to halt the racist abuse once it broke out in the stands (indeed, no one even thought to try to warn the fans via the public address system). The Turin club were fined and ordered to play their next match behind closed doors with the warning that, next time, the punishment would be much tougher. Serie A authorities also reminded match officials that they had the right and duty to halt a game if racist abuse persisted. It was the first time such a hefty punishment had been meted out in Italian football – similar events in the past had led to fines and, where individuals had been identified, banning orders. Then again, if you’re going to start issuing serious punishment for racist abuse, you have to start somewhere and picking on Italy’s biggest and best-supported club at least sends the message that no one is above the law. Except that’s when the contrarians came out. Juventus’s Ultras, their hardcore supporters, were quick to say that the abuse of Balotelli had to do more with his behaviour than with the colour of his skin. It’s not hard to see why opposing fans do not like the 18-year-old Inter striker, a player whose showboating attitude sometimes makes Cristiano Ronaldo seem humble. Indeed, Facebook has three antiBalotelli groups with total membership of more than 45,000. “You have to stop calling this racism, because it isn’t racist,” AC Milan’s Clarence Seedorf said. “It’s the same kind of abuse that other, nonblack players get when fans sing about their mothers. The fact is that certain players stand out because of their behaviour on the pitch. Balotelli needs to understand that if he continues to behave this way he will continue to elicit similar reactions everywhere he goes.” Mourinho’s reaction also raised eyebrows, not least because many expect the “Special One” always to defend his players and get any edge he can. “The abuse was childish and ignorant but it wasn’t racist,” he said. “It’s not as if they were abusing him because Balotelli is of African descent. They were abusing him because he’s an opponent, and a very talented one at that, one whose skill had just led to a Juve player getting sent off.”
accessory Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 Incredibly talented player, but has more issues than the Radio Times. Balotelli needs a sensitive manager to coax the best out of him, as Ferguson did with Eric Cantona and MON did (albeit briefly) with Stan Collymore. I'm not sure Mancini will fit the bill. But if he fails at Eastlands, there are only two clubs who could afford him - and neither Madrid or Barca would touch him with a bargepole. He could be a worldbeater in five years' time. Alternatively he could be in a psychiatric unit, prison or worse. This is what makes his story so compelling. After Rooney, he's probably the biggest box-office star in English football.
Guest Bilo Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 Incredibly talented player, but has more issues than the Radio Times. Balotelli needs a sensitive manager to coax the best out of him, as Ferguson did with Eric Cantona and MON did (albeit briefly) with Stan Collymore. I'm not sure Mancini will fit the bill. But if he fails at Eastlands, there are only two clubs who could afford him - and neither Madrid or Barca would touch him with a bargepole. He could be a worldbeater in five years' time. Alternatively he could be in a psychiatric unit, prison or worse. This is what makes his story so compelling. After Rooney, he's probably the biggest box-office star in English football. A very good point. I can't help thinking with his temperament that he's on the wrong side of Manchester. I personally hope he does end up becoming a genuine world beater, the game needs characters and Balotelli certainly is one. Don't forget though that most of the players we now regard as greats were mere shadows of what they are today. I doubt many would have predicted that the acne ridden show pony of 2005 that was Cristiano Ronaldo would turn into one of the best players, if not THE best player in the world within two years.
ajthefox Posted 25 July 2011 Posted 25 July 2011 As much as Balotelli comes across as a bit of a tit, it's easy to forget he hasn't exactly had it easy. Given up for adoption by his birth parents who wanted little to do with him until it became apparent he was going to become a successful footballer, suffered racist abuse from his own supporters in Italy and really quite seriously ill as a toddler with intestinal problems. Considering he's not yet 21 he has actually had quite a rough start. Sounds like he's been through the mill, but I don't see why you've brought that into a discussion about his conduct as a professional footballer.
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