Mario Balotelli

Ole90+3

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On a free transfer this summer coming off the back of 2 good seasons in France for Nice. 26 goals this season. Looks like he's back to his best. Of course piggy Raoila is bigging him up to be one of the best strikers in Europe, valuing him at €100m to get his slice of the pie with inflated agency fees.

Worth a punt for some elite teams in Europe? Inter, Milan and Juve rumoured to be interested, as well as some PL teams. He's only 27 so should be entering his peak form.

Personally would love to see him back in the PL just for the purely fabricated off the field antics he gets up to.

P.S. Is it just me or did anyone else completely forget that Balotelli played for Liverpool. They bought him for €20m and then released him 2 years later for nothing, not to mention he was loaned out to Milan during that period. So they paid €20m for 4 goals :lol:
 

roonster09

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Inter have Icardi and Juventus have Higuain. Can't see them touching him at all.
 

Chipper

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Should be elite clubs or clubs like Milan and Inter as neither of those are elite anymore. :devil:

Saw something the other week where Balotelli was supposedly uninterested in Milan.

The rumour is that Icardi might leave Inter, particularly if they fail to get into the Champions League again and it's to do with finances/FFP as much as anything else - Italy's extra spot next season might not even help them qualify. Suppose Balotelli could end up there.
 

FootballHQ

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He's played very well at Nice.

Still dosen't really press the defence so a team that needs a striker to run around a lot, he wouldn't work in that formula.

Would probably work o.k at say a Leicester alongside Vardy.

He's finally settled down off the pitch aswell. Has a Daughter which has calmed him down. Of course if he can back to England the media would start expecting him to let fireworks off in his house again.
 

ayushreddevil9

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On a free transfer this summer coming off the back of 2 good seasons in France for Nice. 26 goals this season. Looks like he's back to his best. Of course piggy Raoila is bigging him up to be one of the best strikers in Europe, valuing him at €100m to get his slice of the pie with inflated agency fees.

Worth a punt for some elite teams in Europe? Inter, Milan and Juve rumoured to be interested, as well as some PL teams. He's only 27 so should be entering his peak form.

Personally would love to see him back in the PL just for the purely fabricated off the field antics he gets up to.

P.S. Is it just me or did anyone else completely forget that Balotelli played for Liverpool. They bought him for €20m and then released him 2 years later for nothing, not to mention he was loaned out to Milan during that period. So they paid €20m for 4 goals :lol:
I do remember. Only because of this:
Dear Mario,
In this crazy world we live in, someone you've never heard of or will probably never meet, feels, as a Liverpool fan, that its ok to write to you on an internet page to say welcome. But here I am, and there you are, somewhere, preparing for the Spurs game today.

But I'm writing this with real meaning when I say welcome, because you are now at a club that is different, and a club where the fans genuinely care about their team. Now I'm quite sure every fan of any team would say that, but at Liverpool, you're not just a player, you a Liverpool player and that means you're part of our family. You are now one of us, and you are now family (you're welcome round for tea anytime mate).

Welcome to a bond with a set of fans that will not just sing your name, but look out for you, welcome to a ground where the feeling is different, a sense of history, family and warmth, of times shared and where the outside world and press are invited in but never truly part of it, welcome to a place, a sense of place, a culture that sets us apart from the rest of them.

I've read about your upbringing, it must be very odd to have your everyday shared with millions, your history available for analysis and comment by strangers, and then to be called 'crazy' by these people who haven't a clue. They are the crazy folk, they are the ones who think its ok to write about other people as if they are professional pyschologists, mind readers and judges of character. Not you.

Well, welcome to a club that sets apart from that world. Liverpool is a club that does it differently, where the emotions are heartfelt not invented, the flags are fabric not plastic and the noise deafeningly sincere.

Liverpool's great players have all been special, and different and gifted and marvellous to watch, and all of them acknowledge the club has a special place in their hearts. You are brilliant at your job, wonderful to watch, and you arriving here has made a lot of people excited. You have the gift of creating emotion in men's hearts, that's the real meaning of football, and I hope I speak for all Liverpool fans when I say, have the best time of your life here, have a great career and score lots of goals sure, but really, truly, have a great life whilst at our club.

In some ways, Mario, welcome home.
 

van der star

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There were links in the media about Dortmund being interested in him (Favre>Dortmund, media adding 2+2), even though his style of play does not quite fit in with their footballing philosophy.
 

SirAF

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This could be a new trend, making an IG story after scoring. Balotelli is always good fun :lol:
I initially thought this was a bit cringe, but I’ll applaud him for the amount of prepping in terms of handing his phone to a photographer and making a deal in advance :lol:
 

Coxy

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I thought it was funny until I was watching an article claiming it's disrepsectful to the other team etc

What do others think? Seems like the posts above think it's funny - but I must admit, on reflection, doing that in the middle of the game whilst it's still going on - does seem a bit disrespectful? Or am I just being grumpy?
 

MuFc_1992

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Is this the first instance of someone posting something online while still playing in a match?
 

izec

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I thought it was funny until I was watching an article claiming it's disrepsectful to the other team etc

What do others think? Seems like the posts above think it's funny - but I must admit, on reflection, doing that in the middle of the game whilst it's still going on - does seem a bit disrespectful? Or am I just being grumpy?
It is a celebration. Dont know whats disrespectful about it.
 

Lay

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I thought it was funny until I was watching an article claiming it's disrepsectful to the other team etc

What do others think? Seems like the posts above think it's funny - but I must admit, on reflection, doing that in the middle of the game whilst it's still going on - does seem a bit disrespectful? Or am I just being grumpy?
Grumpy.
 

Paxi

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He's fecking ballbag who hates United. Nothing good or fun about him.
 

100

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He's a professional meme rather than a footballer.
 

BobbyManc

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Still one of my favourite players. He never deserved half the negative attention he seemed to harbour. I always check his games to see if he's scored. Hope he can get back into Italy's side, he stands a good chance if he carries on like this, especially with Mancini in charge.
 

Rozay

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He’s a good player. He was, for me, harshly profiled by the British media, and then when he came to Liverpool, he was referred to as some sort of failed footballer, despite him having scored goals at Inter, City and Milan - in addition to his country.

Out of England he seems to have been allowed to grow up, but he’s not the failure that he’s often lazily referred to as. He’s scored goals pretty much everywhere since he was a teenager.
 

FootballHQ

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He had a kid the other year so that has calmed him down off the pitch. No incidents in the media unlike all the crazy stuff he got up to at City.

Still a bit lazy for any team who wants to press from the front but yes he scores goals so would be a decent pick up for a top half team.
 

Bro Naoned

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Wasn't even aware that he's playing for Marseille
He has moved this winter.

He didn't want to play for Nice anymore, and Patrick Vieira (Nice's coach) was very upset about his lack of dedication for Nice.
 
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Tommy

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Yeah he definitely seems like someone who’d throw his toys out the pram to gain a move.
I think he's more likely to throw the pram.
 

11101

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Credit where it's due, that's one of the most inventive celebrations you'll ever see.

France seems to be good for him. He had a decent game every now and then but he was never good enough for the top level.
 

Amar__

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He has found his level, which proved what many thought that he is overrated. He is nowhere near good talent some thought he is.
 

Cee90

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Wish he scored against PSG if true.