Mario Balotelli’s Liverpool days are numbered is the message coming from Paulo Di Canio, as he suggests the forward cares more about the lifestyle of a footballer than actually playing the game.
The quotes, printed in the Express and taken from Fox Sport Italia, say how the former West Ham United player and Sunderland coach thinks Balotelli “spends too much time on social media” and that the player needs to “realise what it means to play with your team mates, sharing good and bad moments and it doesn’t seem like he [Balotelli] is doing that.”
Di Canio also believes it could be difficult for the striker to salvage any kind of career in football going forward, something that should alert the player at least to the severity of his situation.
He added: “Many coaches have tried to change him. [Roberto] Mancini has been like a father to him, but even he won’t reunite with him at Inter.
“[Jose] Mourinho understood immediately, he’s good at understanding players, and he realised that he could change him. Now he hasn’t got anyone to rely on.”
The highly-strung Di Canio was known for his flamboyant style on the pitch, but he also never shirked responsibility in-play, something he believes Balotelli is doing: “Sometimes in football you think you can just hog the ball, show off in some way and let your team mates run for you, but you can’t, football is about sacrifice, and a bond with your team mates.
“That doesn’t mean off the pitch in a bar, but being generous on the pitch. I hope he’ll recover, but I can imagine it’ll be very difficult, as he spends too much time on social media.
“It seems like he uses football to be a celebrity, rather than the opposite.”
Hearing someone come out and urge the player on is an all-too-familiar sight for Balotelli, and it remains to be seen where he will end up this summer.
It is clear, however, that if he doesn’t change his attitude when he changes his club then he could be another talented lad who let the world slip from under his feet.
