Italy national team coach Giampiero Ventura has opened the possibility of former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli returning to the national team.
Balotelli was once regarded as the future of the Italian national team. His immense talent made him the perfect replacement for players like Alessandro del Piero. However, his talent has largely been wasted with the striker going from the start prodigy worth more than £ 25 million a decade ago into a free transfer for a French football team. Balotelli’s career has certainly not progressed as everyone hoped when he was making his name at Inter Milan.
Several moves to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, and AC Milan followed, but Balotelli did not improve his ways. He continued to possess incredible talent but it was not applied on the pitch. This led to the Italian national team completely doing away with Balotelli as an option after the 2014 World Cup.
Former manager Antonio Conte did not see Balotelli as someone who could help the national team and it has been the same case with Ventura. However, he appears to have been a player reborn after the free transfer to Nice in the summer. Balotelli has been a major factor behind Nice’s title challenge along with Monaco and Paris St Germain.
As a result, he appears to have returned back to the Italian national team contention according to the manager. “As a footballer I never doubted him, his qualities are indisputable. Those before me have questioned him for his behaviour [not his ability]. I will go to see some of Mario’s games, and I will speak to him. But he has to solve his problems… It is a shame, all this lost talent,” said Ventura.”I’ve missed it for some time, but it’s been deserved.I hope to return very soon, but only at my best,” said Balotelli.