Whenever the name Mario Balotelli comes up, especially in Italy, the conversation is inevitably laced with regret - a collective sigh over a player who had the raw potential to be among the best, if only things had gone differently. But sit down with the 36-year-old striker, and you'll find a smile, wisdom, and a surprising maturity. He's made peace with his turbulent narrative and isn't chasing ghosts anymore.
Balotelli joined Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League for the pure joy of the game and to fulfill a family dream: playing alongside his brother, Enock Barwuah. “To tell you the truth, it was an idea that came up more or less at the last minute,” he says. “The president wanted to meet me, and we talked. The project interested me. Everyone always says: ‘You go to Dubai for the money,’ but thank God, I’m not short of that. So, money wasn’t the only goal. The project was actually nice and competitive. I grew fond of the idea and decided to give it a try.”
Life in the Middle East is a stark contrast to his past. “Infrastructure-wise, it’s very good. The stadiums are beautiful. The problem is the public: there’s no crowd, which is a bit sad,” he says. “The organisation is also lacking a bit, but I think they’ll improve on that with time. I’m talking about all the teams across the board.” On playing with his brother: “It’s beautiful. Ever since we were little, we always said we’d play together one day. He’d always ask me: ‘If you play for Inter, Milan, or [Manchester] City, how can I play with you?’ I used to tell him that when I got older, I might play in a team of a slightly lower level and maybe they’d give us that opportunity. It’s always been a dream, and now it’s coming true.”
Despite his new surroundings, Balotelli is acutely aware of Italian football's deep-rooted problems, especially after Italy's failure to qualify for three consecutive World Cups. “The problems, in my opinion, are very simple,” he says. “I prefer to give practical explanations rather than technical ones, based on everyday life and what I see in Italy. When we were little, we played hours and hours of football. I remember my mum getting mad at me because I’d stay out until it was too dark to see the ball. They’d threaten you that you couldn’t go out to play the next day. Now, when I walk around cities like Brescia, though I see it in other Italian cities too, the parks are empty. There’s no one around.”
He continues: “Computers, phones, and PlayStations have ruined a lot. Above all, the parents’ mentality has changed. A seven‑year-old kid today might play football for two hours every three days. We had the same structured training sessions, plus three hours of playing at the park every day, which felt like fun but was actually extra training. I truly believe talents were born on the street and in the parks. You played a lot, learned a lot, and tested yourself against older kids. If you were good, they didn’t let you play with kids your age; they made you play with the older ones. Those were tests that served me well in the long run. Playing with people older than me has always been one of the most important things in my career. Today, kids are on their phones. They feel like Ronaldinho because they watch his videos. I felt like Ronaldo because I could actually pull off the same tricks at the park. It’s very different.”
Despite his pessimism, Balotelli - who earned 36 caps for the Azzurri, scoring 14 goals - remains confident. “Yes, I think so for the upcoming generations,” he predicts. “Maybe not right away, but in the next two or three generations. It’s normal for a country to have downturns but then you bounce back. Spain, France, and Germany have all had them.”
On Roberto Mancini's reappointment as Italy coach, Balotelli says, “He texted me to wish me a happy birthday, and I joked with him, saying: ‘Look, I can still play!’ I’m very happy he’s back with the national team; I’m very fond of him and I wish him the best. In Italy, people tend to blame the coaches a lot but, honestly, the system should take more of the blame. It’s the truth that nobody wants to say.”
As a curious footnote, the last time Balotelli played for Italy was on 7 September 2018, against Poland in Bologna - also Mancini's first competitive game in his first spell. Could Balotelli play under Mancini again? “If I keep scoring, yes,” he replies emphatically.
His time in England, especially three years at Manchester City under Mancini, remains a standout chapter. “It remains one of the best memories of my career,” he says. “At that time, City wasn’t as renowned as it is today. We joined the team that took the first steps for City to become what it is today. That gives you a special feeling. It means a lot more, actually.”
As he navigates the twilight of his career, Balotelli’s focus is clear. “I’m feeling good,” he states. “I’m recovering from a slight leg issue but I’m training, and it’s going well. It’s hot, which makes it a bit difficult to give 100%, but if you pace yourself and use your head, you can manage to play quite well. The heat is definitely a drawback, however. On the pitch I want to play as long as I feel good. Playing is what I love doing, so as long as my body doesn’t say: ‘Enough,’ I’ll keep going. Off the pitch, once I finish my career, I definitely want to manage my businesses and focus on my kids. I’d prefer tranquillity, though. I’ve had a very hectic career, so a sedentary lifestyle wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
If he could offer one piece of advice to his 16-year-old self, it would be: “I’d tell him not to make certain choices,” he says, “and to listen to certain people at specific times.”