It is late at night on the weekend, and Mario Balotelli is attracting attention. Well, it's hard not to when you're a 6'2 black-Italian wearing diamond earrings bigger than your eyeballs. Oh, and you happen to be the best young upcoming goal-scorer in all of Italy. It is already easy to see why Balo is one of the most talked about footballers in the world, but there is far more to his story. Even though he has only played professionally for about 5 years, he has already made his mark in the world stage on and off the pitch.
Because of his massive size and strength, partnered with his dribbling and finishing attributes, Mario is among the most feared players anywhere. He first made his name known on Manchester City in the premier league at the age of 20. He scored on his debut in a Europa league match and never looked back. Balotelli ended up winning The Golden Boy Award for the most impressive young player in Europe for 2011. Then, in the 2011-2012 Premier League season, Mario's 13 goals helped league City to the title, which was their first since the 1967-1968 season. Also, most recently, he scored in the 2014 Brazil World Cup against England to win the match 2-1 for Italy. He had certainly proved himself as a threat to any club or country that he may face. Another thing that Balo proved, which he does not take pride in, is that at times he can be the most reckless and undisciplined player in the world.
On the field, Balotelli has been sent off for aggressive fouls and swearing at the referee multiple times. He will get frustrated when he performs badly, and turns that frustration against his opponents. He has also been criticized for questionable celebrations. In October, 2011 Mario scored against Manchester United and revealed an undershirt reading "Why always me?", taking a stab at referees and the media for portraying him wrongly. Off the filed criticism is even worse. There have been pictured of Balo with mafia members, he has been caught speeding with over $100,000 cash in his trunk, and he even went into a women's prison without permission "just to look around". There have been speculations that he is "crazy" and "uncoachable", mostly made by his former manager, Roberto Mancini. He he's a rough player to work with.
Mario's actions have been extremely controversial in the past, but this does not change the concept that he represents something amazing in Europe. He was abandoned by his family in Ghana, and adopted by his new Italian parents. Balo is the first black player to ever put on an Italian national football jersey and take the field. With the immigrant population growing in Italy and surrounding countries, racism is still a factor. Balotelli's story and African backgrounds make him a perfect candidate to be the face of this new European movement. Because of this, Mario was named into Time Magazine's top 100 most influential people.
Mario Balotelli is more than a footballer. He is an unpredictable man who loves to show off his money and partake in odd activities. He is a man with discipline issues and a big head. But, he is also a major figure in fighting Italian and European racism. Football is such a huge part in European society, and Mario is a big enough name to get people listening. There are not many people in professional sports more intriguing than Mario Balotelli.
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