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FIFA World Cup 2006 winner Marco Materazzi has said that he gave former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli a good beating in training. The pair were teammates with Inter Milan and Italy.
Balotelli was a highly touted prospect during his time at the Nerazzuri. His undeniable talent was pretty evident, but his antics often overshadowed his performances.
Materazzi said that one such antic made him take matters into his own hands. Reminiscing about the incident, the former defender, who scored in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, told Daily Mail:
“I gave him a good beating, it's true. I love Mario, but he really deserved it that day. We've become friends again now, practically brothers, but he did something that day that he really should not have done. Throwing his shirt to the ground after the final whistle wasn't even the worst of it."
He added:
“Before the game, on the team bus, he told us: 'Today I'm going to play badly,' so I promised to make him pay if he did. When he came off the bench, he tried a shot from midfield rather than going on the counter. Diego Milito wanted to kill him."
Materazzi continued:
"We believed in Mario. He scored many goals and contributed to the victory, but a week after that, I asked Mourinho to put me against Balotelli in the training ground games between ranks. After a few seconds, I'd sent him back to the dressing room.”
Despite his promise, Balotelli never fulfilled his immense potential. He played for the likes of Inter Milan, Manchester City, Liverpool, Nice and Olympique Marseille. The 32-year-old now plays for FC Sion.
How many goals did Mario Balotelli score for Liverpool?
After Luis Suarez joined Barcelona in 2014, Liverpool brought in Mario Balotelli as the Uruguayan's replacement. Considering his abilities, the expectations were high from the Italian.
However, he massively underperformed. During his time at Merseyside, Balotelli made only 28 appearances, scoring four goals. He played under Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.
Balotelli also represented Italy at the international level 36 times. He racked up 14 goals and five assists. He was a key player for the Azzurri as they reached the UEFA Euro 2012 final.
