A Portrait of the ____ as a Young Man

By: Julian | May 13th, 2011

I wrote this back in February for a site which is no longer around. In light of the impending FA Cup final, I thought it would be apropos to repost it again, as it was. The facts and figures are outdated but the point remains the same.

Carl Jung would likely struggle to classify him. For all of his archetypes of the mind, two seem equally applicable to the young man. Complexity, a desire to achieve, and an immature beginning would suggest a “hero” classification, whilst his often unpredictable and seemingly irrational behavior is a characteristic of a trickster type (think more like Promethius than Zeus). Hero, trickster, or other, the Manchester City striker is a fascinating figure, an arrogant, oft-infuriating player who possesses enough talent to stake a claim as future Balon D’Or winner. His attitude, rather than his potential, is the limiting reagent in the chemical reaction of his career.

A psychoanalysis of Mario Balotelli’s career may suggest that his arrogance is due to the surreal amount of promise about the player, beginning from his teenage years. Inter’s chairman Massimo Moratti claimed in 2007 that he wasn’t disappointed about AC Milan signing much hyped Brazilian youngster Pato due to the fact that Inter had signed the 17 year old Italian/Ghanian a year before.[1] In his second appearance for Inter, he scored two goals against Catania in the Coppa Italia, and famously scored two goals away against Juventus in the quarter-finals that year. He scored in Serie A that year and was substituted into the 2008 SuperCoppa Italia against Roma. In his first season, he had shown much talent, scoring in many competitions and proving to be a thorn in many a defense.

He quickly grew from strength to strength, setting impressive precedents whilst facing the harsh realities of racism that came with being an African. In November 2008 he became Inter’s youngest ever player to score in the Champions’s League against Anorthosis Famagusta. Juventus became a favorite target for the teenager, scoring against them that season as well, securing a one-one draw for Inter. That game was also notable as one of the first instances of racial abuse that Mario would go on to receive many times in his still short career, with Juventus fans chanting “There’s no such thing as black Italians” and the infamous “Si saltelli, moure Balotelli” [A taunt, translated roughly as “If you jump up and down, Balotelli dies”]. The talent was surely there, but the racial abuse was beginning as well: two defining aspects of his career.

Disciplinary problems, the third part of the triumvirate that Mario would be known for, arose the following season. Inter coach Jose Mourinho often criticized Mario’s attitude, claiming that he was far too arrogant for being so young and that his efforts in training were less than that of players much older and far more trophied than he was, such as Luis Figo and Javier Zanetti. The racist chants continued throughout the season as well, with Juventus being fined twice again after playing Inter during the season. His promise and immediate impact in the Inter first team seemed to have inflated his ego; Mourinho refused to give into his petulance, and compounded with the racial slants, it seemed as if Mario’s career had become very complex very quickly.

In his final season with Inter, Balotelli’s problems escalated. His relationship with Mourinho deteriorated further, receiving a zero out of ten rating publicly by his coach after a one all draw with Roma. Against Juventus he was once again racially abused and had Felipe Melo sent off for a second yellow due to play acting, going down clutching his face following an elbow to the shoulder from the Brazilian. Gianluigi Buffon, often an ocean of calm, exploded in rage and anger following the sending off. If Mario had yet to reach the stuff of legends, the reaction he drew from the Italian legend surely cemented his infamy.

As the season progressed, Mario’s lackadaisical nature begot criticism from many of his teammates, including captain Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi, and even his own agent. He did little to assuage Inter fans, even appearing on Italian television holding an AC Milan jersey. An apology on his website allowed him to be re-instated to the team, but this was to be short lived. After criticism from fans whilst playing against Barca in the Champions’ League, the striker threw his shirt to the ground in disgust, and played a minor role for Inter during the rest of the season. His teammates had enough, fans were infuriated, and Mourinho decided that his patience would be tested no longer. A move to Manchester City-and a reunion with his first coach, Roberto Mancini- soon followed. Thus far in his Manchester City career, the striker has scored five in nine games; a persistent injury to his right knee seems to be the only roadbump on Balotelli’s way to regular first team football. Racism and disciplinary problems seem to be less problematic, although the player did receive one red card (Mancini dismissed it as being unfair).

The question thus remains: was the true problem Balotelli or Italy? Racism and petulance seemed to feed into each other, one fueling the other during his time on the peninsula. Under Cesare Prandelli’s guidance, the player has been a standout on the national side, rarely giving anything less than his all and already receiving assurance from the former Fiorentina manager that the future of Italy belongs with him. Such high praise from such an intelligent, patient man illustrates not only how much potential Mario Balotelli has, but how much talent he already displays on the pitch. Perhaps away from Italy, in a league where racism is less of a problem, Mario Balotelli’s days of cantankerousness will be put behind him.

In any case, Balotelli is one to watch. When he steps onto the pitch, talent, attitude, and racism often beget a triumvirate of their own: a goal, red card, or argument seem certain to follow his every move, sometimes simultaneously. Perhaps he is truly a trickster after all.

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[1] http://web.archive.org/web/20080112170241/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/aug19k.html

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