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Life, as we know it, is a curious and delightful journey. On the one hand, we, the unenlightened masses who devote considerable time and energy to our many passions and interests, delight in scoffing at the recipients of our adulation – the heroes that make our weekends memorable.
In recent memory, perhaps no one has evoked more scorn and ridicule than Mario Balotelli. But then, it is also true that when he is in the mood, the Italian has us reduced to sighing in disbelief at just how good a player he really is.
And we wish, for the millionth time perhaps – why can’t this maverick just listen to sense? Or is he just too thick to see all the glory that could be his?
To us, the only possible explanation for such pigheadedness is that maybe the man cannot think clearly any more – he did spend his formative years at Inter Milan trying to fend off Marco Materazzi in training.
But as tempting as it is to blame Materazzi for anything and everything that goes wrong in the footballing world – even after all these years – one senses that even he would think twice before messing with Balotelli.
For Super Mario is a true phenomenon – a complete player in every sense of the word.
Technically gifted? You betcha!
Composed and intelligent? Euro 2012 and the assist for the goal that won Manchester City their only league title certainly say he is capable of being both those things.
Passionate and aggressive? Maybe we need to dial it down a little bit on the aggression front.
In fact, to even term it as “passion” would be a gross misconception. Balotelli seems to be struggling with emotions that far override the relatively easily defined terms of “passion” and “heart”.
It’s almost as if the unbridled talent that resides in his intimidating frame, in trying to set itself free, takes over the mind of our protagonist, reducing him to an overtly aggressive wreck, incapable of coherent thought or action.
Conjures up images of a wild stallion, doesn’t it? And that may just be as far as we get in our attempts to define the man.
That’s because we, trapped in our shells of mediocrity and everyday life, cannot comprehend the unique creature that is Mario Balotelli. Preached as we are from our early years about the values of hard work and dedication, Balotelli’s success flies in the face of everything we were taught as children.
That he has risen to the top in spite of his attitude, rather than because of it, is something that astounds us. As well it should. Even in the prodigiously talented stratosphere of footballing superstars, Super Mario may well be unique.
The only one who can perhaps be taken up as a case study is Wayne Rooney. But even here, the parallels cease to make much sense after a point. Rooney was brought under the tutelage of Sir Alex very early on, and his respect for the Scot made sure that Rooney matured in due time.
I may still prefer the Rooney of old, the one who was capable of virtually anything in those early years. Sir Alex’s intentions were spot on, as always, when he tailored his young prodigy’s game to suit the needs of his team, but they did come at a cost. Somewhere, somehow, Rooney lost out on a little bit of that “X-factor” that separates the very good from the truly sublime.
However, David Moyes could very well bring that Rooney back, if he’s still hiding in there somewhere. There is nothing quite like going back to your roots, is there?
That, in essence, is what Balotelli needs today. And in Milan, all the elements are perfectly in place to help Balotelli grow to be the player we all know he can be.
The more volatile players, the ones who are forever enmeshed in the search for something they themselves do not truly know or understand, have to be handled with a velvet glove, so to speak.
The firebrand that was Wayne Rooney was tamed in the hands of Sir Alex because the youngster had a deep, abiding respect for the Scot. What we see today is a watered down version of Rooney – and he is still one of the best players in the world. The much less domineering influence of Moyes could very well see Rooney ascend to another plane as a footballer.
In Milan, Massimiliano Allegri, for all the troubles he is facing today, seems to be the right man for Balotelli – a calming influence who puts a lot of trust in his crown jewel. On the international front, Cesare Prandelli is an even bigger advocate of Mario magic.
Between the two of them, they could potentially help the bad boy of football understand himself – both as a footballer, and as a person.
They say that home is where the heart is. While at Inter Milan, Balotelli did the unthinkable – wearing an AC Milan jersey, a move that had the Nerazzurri faithful calling for his head.
It was not an action borne out of a need to cause any controversy – Balotelli was a self-confessed AC Milan fan even back then. That said, the timing of his actions should give him an answer to the question that he asks the world most often.
The unforgettable “Why always me?” etched on a tee, unfurled in the seconds after he scored on Derby day while in his time at City, was more poignant because of the seething, puzzled look on his face as he was being mobbed by his team-mates.
It is always Mario Balotelli because Mario Balotelli is who Mario Balotelli is. Delight of the paparazzi – the John McEnroe of football, even. The man “everyone loves to hate, and everyone hates to love”, in the words of the tempestuous American himself.
But before Super Mario can even think of making the kind of impact on football that McEnroe had on tennis, he must find himself. And the only way seems to be through his heart. In the arms of a club he loves, and one that loves him, Balotelli has found a stage that is patient enough to let his talents take centre-stage in due course.
Milan themselves are a side in transition, a club of rare history and memories that is now searching for lost glories. That they have put their faith in him will hold tremendous appeal and desire in our protagonist’s fickle mind.
Perhaps he will turn to that trust the next time he finds himself on the verge of tipping over to the other side. Perhaps he will look into the crowd, and see a child waving the Milan flag proudly, and calm down, reminding himself that he is now the symbol for this great club.
Ultimately, as my father has delighted in telling me since I was old enough to understand the words – “God helps those who help themselves”.
All of Milan may well be appealing to a higher power when it comes to Balotelli. And for one who has been touched by His hand, the boy may well heed their prayers, and one day find himself equal to the task of growing to be the man Milan needs him to be.
