Mario Balotelli acquired a controversial reputation since his time at Manchester City.
While the Italian didn’t quite fulfill his potential, he was often viewed as a villain by the British press.
Now 35, the striker appeared at the Trento Sport Festival on Sunday. He was asked many questions about his career.
He also spoke about his time at Manchester City and delved into how the English media treated him.
Manchester City shaped Balotelli
The former Italy man said, relayed by Calciomercato: “My experience with Inter was part of my development, but I think England shaped me the most.”
“It was the first time I was alone, my family wasn’t there, and I wasn’t used to it. It shapes you for better or for worse, because you make mistakes and have to get out of them on your own.”
Speaking about his famous ‘Why Always Me?’ incident at Manchester City, Balotelli said: “Why Always Me? I had it before the match with a warehouse worker. I was the centre of attention for my problems, and it was a nice outburst. The tabloids in England went overboard with me.”
He also expressed regret about another incident at Manchester City, again pointing out how he was unfairly treated.
“The one I regret? The house in England that caught fire, a prank by two of my brother’s friends, but because it was dangerous.
“But I haven’t done anything as big as they seem or as they say, to the point of regretting it.”
Balotelli comes across as more mature now, which is to be expected.
He has some regrets about his career turned out, but the striker had his fair share of memorable moments. Balotelli won the Premier League with Manchester City in 2012 and also impressed with Italy at the Euros in the same year.
He also had a pretty good spell at AC Milan in the 2013/14 season. Soon after, he also had a stay at Nice where he scored 33 times for the Ligue 1 club.