Liverpool flop Mario Balotelli had a ‘big mouth and tiny heart’ according to his former team-mate Wesley Sneijder in a brutal assessment of the failed striker
12:20, 09 Jun 2025Updated 12:20, 09 Jun 2025
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli flopped at Liverpool
Liverpool flop Mario Balotelli had a ‘big mouth and tiny heart’ according to former team-mate Wesley Sneijder.
The madcap Italian was destined for stardom when he broke through at Inter Milan as a teenager. By the time he was 20, Balotelli had already joined Manchester City in a £22.5million deal, but the issues with the striker were obvious.
Balotelli faded away as a world-beater even before he left City in 2013 at just 23. His time in Manchester was completely overshadowed by off-and-on-field controversy. He returned to Milan with AC before signing for Liverpool for £16m to replace Luis Suarez, but he scored just four goals in 28 games and was labelled a "disgrace" in training.
Speaking to BetMGM, Sneijder said that Balotelli’s mentality stopped him from being one of the best strikers in the world. "He was an amazing player,” Sneijder said.
“He was technically brilliant and, honestly, if he was better in his mind he would have been one of the best strikers in the world.
Wesley Sneijder - Mario Balotelli
Wesley Sneijder played with Balotelli at Inter and Nice
Article continues below
“In training sessions he was absolutely amazing – I just wish he was better mentally. He had a big mouth and a tiny heart. Sometimes he made decisions which really, really went against him.
“We all remember that moment when he showed the shirt which said ‘Why Always Me?’ If you put that question in your mind, as a footballer player, you will always be wrong.
“Especially as a striker, you need to show that, even if everyone is against you, you can still be one of the best strikers in the world.
“I talked a lot with him and tried to explain this all but, unfortunately, no one could change his mentality. It was quite sad actually."
Mario Balotelli of Manchester City celebrates scoring their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford
Mario Balotelli found himself under scrutiny at Manchester City(Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Balotelli joined Nice on a free transfer in 2016 and has gone on to play for Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Adana Demirspor, and Sion. He's currently at Genoa, just two months until his 35th birthday.
While Balotelli won’t be remembered as one of the greats, Sneijder certainly will be. The 134-time Netherlands international won league titles with Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter and Galatasaray, and the Champions League with the Nerazzurri in 2010.
Sneijder revealed that he almost played alongside Balotelli again at Liverpool, but opted to turn down a move to Anfield and join Galatasaray instead in 2013, with the Italian arriving for his ill-fated spell at Liverpool the following year.
Don't miss a thing with football updates!
Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news? Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star Football email newsletter!
From the latest transfer news to breaking stories, get it all in your email inbox.
How do you sign up?
It only takes a matter of seconds.
Simply click on this link, then provide your email address and that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top football stories.
You can also sign up for our sport email, Off the Ball, for all the latest darts, boxing, snooker, F1 stories and more, right here
Article continues below
“There were some talks with Manchester United but, in truth, I was close to joining Liverpool in 2013 before I joined Galatasaray. It was a hard decision but, at that moment, Liverpool weren’t quite at the level they are now,” the Dutchman revealed.
“Galatasaray was a better move for me at the time. Of course I would have loved to have played in England but it didn’t really work out – and that’s not a bad thing. I played for some amazing teams during my career.
“It would have been amazing to play for them and in the Premier League but I don’t regret it.”