Just as current Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini was able to convince star-man Carlos Tevez to stay at Eastlands, a new challenge has now emerged in the form of City new boy Mario Balotelli. As controversy has followed Balotelli in recent years at Inter Milan, it seems as if Balotelli's Manchester City stint is no different and that it doesn't look to be changing for the better.
Homesick Manchester City Striker Mario Balotelli Aches For Italy
Already a participant in a training ground bust up with teammate Jerome Boateng, a sending off at West Brom in November, those silly comments that he is second only to Lionel Messi, and this hat, reports have now emerged that Balotelli is homesick, misses Italy and is want-away this Summer.
As reported on The Guardian, Balotelli, aged just 20 years and only four months into a five year contract at Manchester City, has found life as a Premier League footballer a difficult settle and fails to see his situation in Manchester improving. Viewed by those around him at Eastlands as a loner, Balotelli is given permission to fly back home to Italy whenever players are given time off and even declined the opportunity to attend the club’s annual Christmas party.
Wasn’t it the late, great Notorious B.I.G. who once articulated “Mo Money, Mo Problems”? While Manchester City and their ever faithful band of devoted followers settle into life as a “big club”, the number of new footballers introduced at Eastlands in the last few years has been astounding. With that injection of cash into the club by owner Sheikh Mansour, queue new blood in the form of some of the most talented footballers in Europe.
But with so many new players arriving into the squad with different backgrounds speaking different languages, now queue the apathetic, the unsettled and the want-away players. Some will settle, eventually or quickly (Carlos Tevez, David Silva and Yaya Toure), some won't (Robinho and now Balotelli).
Yet in all the tumultuousness Balotelli has brought with him to City, many say the young Italian feels strongly loyal to Mancini who he played under in Serie A with Inter Milan. While Mancini will be aware of the challenges that Balotelli now faces in England, it would be unwise to assume he wasn’t already aware of the difficult time settling Balotelli was sure to have when City purchased him from Inter.
The question left that needs an answer after the dust from Balotelli’s self-inflicted problems settle is whether or not Mancini will be able to pull a “Robinho”, losing or letting go a want-away player to Italy, or a “Tevez” and convince Balotelli that life in Manchester has its perks and that Manchester City is the right fit for a footballer who doesn’t yet know his size.
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