Inter Milan star striker talent Mario Balotelli Barwuah’s polarizing personality has not just split camps among football fans but also in the Italian federation which sent him to the U-21 European Championship and not the Confederations Cup.
Ghana Immigrant Parents
Balotelli was born on August 12, 1990 in Palermo, Italy to Ghana immigrants Thomas and Rose Barwuah, who arrived in Italy in 1988. In 1993, the poor parents entrusted their 3-year-old son Mario to the Balotelli family, also because Mario had a serious stomach illness. Balotelli was never officially adopted thus had to wait until his 18th birthday to request his Italian citizenship.
Professional Debut At 15 Years
Balotelli went from a local Brescia club to AC Lumezzane in 2001. And on April 2, 2006, he made his debut with Lumezzane’s senior side against Calcio Padova in the Serie C, making him the youngest player to appear in a Serie C match at 15 years and 289 days.
Move To Inter Milan, Start Debut In Coppa Italia
On August 31, 2006, Balotelli agreed to a three-year deal with Inter Milan. He started initially with Inter’s youth side and finally reached the Italian giants’ with his Serie A debut on December 16, 2007 by getting subbed in against Cagliari Calcio in the 90th minute for David Suazo. His first start came three days later as he scored twice in Inter’s 4-1 victory over Reggina Calcio in the Coppa Italia. Balotelli’s first Serie A start was on April 6, 2008 against Atalanta Bergamo in which he scored one goal and set up the other in a 2-0 victory. He ended the season with three goals in 11 Serie A appearances for the 2008 league champions.
Total Breakout In 2008-09
Balotelli's breakout for good came in 2008-09 for Inter Milan, scoring eight goals in 22 Serie A games. He actually scored those eight goals in a stretch of 11 games between game days 25 and 36. But Balotelli played a big part in Inter Milan repeating their Serie A crown. He also collected his only Champions League goal and two assists in Inter's 3-3 draw against Anorthosis Famagusta. All told, he appeared in six Champions League matches.
National Team With Italy
Since Balotelli had to wait until his 18th birthday to get his Italian passport he was unable to play for Italy's U15 or U17 youth national teams. Nearly a year before he received his Italian passport, Balotelli was asked by the Ghana senior national team if he wanted to play in a friendly against Senegal in London. But Balotelli turned down the request. His Italian debut came on September 5, 2008 with the U21 national team as he scored a goal against Greece in a 1-1 draw in the U21 European Championship qualifier. He scored twice in the second leg of Italy's play-off against Israel to book the Azzurrini's spot at the Euros - with three goals in three qualifier matches.
U21 European Championship In Sweden
Balotelli was with the Italian team at the U21 European Championship in Sweden. After a scoreless draw against Serbia in their opener, Balotelli was on target against hosts Sweden in a 2-1 win to move into first place in the Group A standings with one more game left against Belarus before the semi-finals.
U21 Euros Instead Of Confederations Cup In South Africa
Balotelli was also dismissed by red card in the Sweden match and will miss the Belarus match. And that typifies the 18-year-old's main problem - his demeanor. Italian senior side coach Marcelo Lippi would first like Balotelli to prove himself at the U21 level before coming to the senior squad.
Balotelli Polarizing Italy
There are no doubts that Balotelli is a huge talent. But he is also a polarizing personality. Roma fans threw bananas at him and he was in a minor altercation in a bar in Rome. Juventus Turin were forced to play one game in front of empty stands after Juve fans berated Balotelli with racist slurs. He also has his own sports and fashion collection on the market - SMB45, SuperMarioBalotelli45.
Charity Work
Balotelli also however has a charitable side, heading the Mata Atlantica Project with his brother and advisor Corrado for years. He annually travels to Brazil in the Favellas to visit the poorest of the poor and donate a little sympathy and plenty of money. He also takes part in the World Wild Fund For Nature (WWF).
