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Mario Balotelli made a grand total of 16 appearances for Liverpool between 2014 and 2016.
You’d be forgiven for forgetting his on-pitch performance on Merseyside. But ask the people that were around him during his stay, and they’ll never forget Balotelli’s time in Liverpool.
This is the story of when Mario Balotelli played at Liverpool
Written by Simon Hughes.
Illustrated by Craig Silcock.
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Music sourced from artist.io
Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
#Liverpool #LFC #Balotelli
Fun fact: Balotelli's pass to aguero to score THAT goal and win the league was his only ever premier League assist
If that doesn’t sum up Balotelli, nothing does
@@perspii2808 lol true
Maybe because he was used to doing the scoring himself. That’s actually not a bad stat for a forward. Maybe for a midfielder.
thats fax
The most Balotelli stat ever
I remember thinking at the time that for £16m, he was worth the risk. The guy definitely had the capability - just a massively confusing mindset which was too difficult to control for anyone.
Same. Plus, with that behaviour clause in his contract, i thought maybe this time he will show his true potential........ What a waste.
That goal for Italy at Euro 2012! Unbelievable!
Couldn't describe him any better mate. Tbh he was doin very well for Milan too. But then everything just went down hill after Liverpool. He did shine a bit when he was at Nice but then that's it really.
Even Mourinho was not capable of handling his behavior, Mario is truly unique
@@dannyphantom8937 marseille as well. They even offered him a permanent contract
Without Balotelli, there would've been no *"Agüeroooooooooo!"*
I bet Liverpool was beting on a repeat of that moment....that never came ^^
Without dzeko's goal that wouldn't have happened either
That was the only assist of the season that he had
@@wussup12345That's the point. Duh
@@alsid5089 The word of the day is 'reductive', Karen
Going from Lambert, Balotelli and Borini to Firmino, Mané and Salah has to be one of Klopp’s biggest achievements
Klopp never manage Lambert,Balotelli and Borini. 2 of em already gone when Klopp arrived while Balotelli was on loan at other club.
“Why always me”- will always be iconic
I'm a Man United fan and absolutely despise him for that, but goddamn if it wasn't a power move
🥱
I still remember I was probably 8 or 10 years old at the time. I asked the barber that next time I had a haircut to style my hair like Balotelli. My dad hated it 😂🤣
Will be, not would be.
@@JamesHussain82 ok victor hugo
It’s a testament to his ability that he made it so far in football. Understandably difficult dealing with those personal issues - but a lot of the things he did seem characteristically unrelated to those issues. Giving up before you can lose a training drill? I feel that’s ingrained a bit deeper in who somebody is, rather than what’s going on around them
Massive insecurity and fear of failure. And a lack of introspection to fight it and learn to overcome it, therefore, his career became a failure as well.
What’s going on around them also affects who somebody is
Fear of failure can have a very bad impact on somebody
And how do you know?
Looks like a lot of unresolved childhood issues. Was basically a child blessed (or cursed) with a superhuman body.
His star was so bright and top of the world in 2010 when INTER won the treble with that legendary team. The world was his for the taking back then. What a waste :(
Mario Götze's career will also remain a mystery.
@@AdarshKumar-nj7rp gotze had health related issues
@@AdarshKumar-nj7rp he is now doing great at PSV. He is very important to PSV
I remember him being mad, not celebrating at all in the CL final... because he'd rather win it with Milan.
Adriano was the greatest potential star in history. He was a monster
I still remember as a Milan fan when he broke into senior football with Inter. I almost envied them for having this brilliant youngster, who had Ballon D'Or potentials. He had a decent career, with Champions League, and multiple league titles (Including a historic day at Man City's Aguero goal). A wasted talent nonetheless ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽
indeed
He could've done alot more
I still remember his part the Aguero goal
the world was at his feet after the trebble at Inter in 2010
Why do so many players go between AC Milan and Inter if they're rivals?
His career may have never reached the heights his potential was supposed to but he'll still be immortalised in the sport for his role in the iconic Aguerooo moment
whatever u say
@@sha7303 He’s right. Just like Fabregas for his iconic Iniesta moment.
@@SoItGoes5 still a dub, still a legit game, and still the most iconic moment in the prem history. It wasnt like Aguero was invited to shoot in front of an open goal
@@AutopilotAndChill Nah he will be more remembered for why always me or goal vs Germany
Dzêko had a bigger role than Balotelli in that match.
As a City lad, all I can do is thank him for his contribution to one of the greatest moments of my life. What a character, What a career he could have had IMO..
Swap with Sterling. Who says no
He was great for us in the fa cup games the previous season. I think he got motm in the final or the semi-final.
That iPhone 6 story is so easy to imagine from him.
So childish and juvenile... Just how much of a prat is he really to behave like that. How god damn tragic was his childhood??
That's the type of thing a 10 year old would do.
@@el-youtub3r402 that’s the thing with Balotelli. I’m a Liverpool fan and he was dreadful for us and still remember him taking a penalty away from Henderson (I think). But without characters like him I wonder if football is the same. He’s not the player you want at your team, but he’s a player you like seeing exist.
@@youtubenamebad4259lol i can't really say I agree with your last paragraph He's a character alright Balo, but do we need characters like him with that kind of behavior outside the pitch? I don't think so. I'm all in for someone with a character inside the pitch (Diego Costa, Sergio Ramos/Pepe "the psychopath", Zlatan but it should end there in the pitch
@@youtubenamebad4259 For the opposing team, sure. But not in your team.
Mario had it all..Dribbling ability, speed, power, left foot, right foot, headers. The complete striker. He was a genius, a twisted one no less. One of the greatest Italian football tragedies.
Cassano was way better and stupid as much Balotelli is...
like he is just 32 also, man was washed up by 24!
As a Norwich fan would love a detailed video covering why Norwich struggle in the Prem. An analytical take would be awesome.
Well brother sorry to say but it's very simple, the quality is not there , you guys need to move away from Pukki , remember when you guys had the likes of Fer Snodgrass , those boys could move the ball around , I'm forgetting few other names ,but the likes of Pilkington , Ruddy , Bradley Johnson , Holt , Surman, they were proper footballers , in the first season in epl. These players felt like they could take the next step , but now the current players are not making those noises .
@@akshaypanwar4964 pukki is fine. Its just the defence lacks concentration
@@ireplytostupidpeople4750 last time in epl , in his first 2 matches he scored 4 goals , after that 7 in 36 , 1 in 5 matches , you're not going to survive in the league, grant holt had 15 in his first season , n although scored less than 10 in his second , but his goal to game ratio is better than Pukki , and Holt used to bully defenders he was a nightmare , ball in the box , he was going to fight for every single thing , when you don't have quality you need to have this attitude
Let me tell you what the problem with Norwich is. The defense isn't protected well enough by the 2 DMs in Gilmour and Lees-Melou. Those 2 need a player who will sit while they can use their vision and play make slightly higher up the pitch. So in order for them to succeed, either they drop one of them for a more defensive player, or play a midfield 3 with Gilmour in the middle, or as a box to box with a good defensive midfielder in the middle.
@@tapiwanashenhanga446 it's like telling a blind person you cannot see .
Balotelli being a maverick should not have been a shock for Liverpool. At City he was actually very impressive if inconsistent. No wonder Bobby Manc looked to have aged 20 years in the 2 and half years which Super Mario was at City
I thought that said marković instead of maverick then, I had some horrible flashbacks to that period
I remember reading Steven Gerrards book "My Story" and he tells how Brendan Rodgers first told him about signing Balotelli: “He said, ‘You know we’ve missed out on a couple of signings. I’m basically left with no option but to have a bit of a gamble.’ Brendan paused before he spoke again: ‘The gamble is Mario Balotelli.’ My instant reaction was, ‘Uh-oh.’” And also "Mourinho had been right when he said Balotelli is unmanageable"
Just a heads up, having a thin red line along the bottom of the thumbnail automatically makes people think they've already seen the video and they can scroll past
It’s a different red, at least.
@@borismuller86 doesn’t really matter it’s a thin red line at the bottom of the thumbnail
It's true, I thought I had seen this video before because of that red line but I gave it a click anyway.
Used to work at the Italian restaurant in question and saw Mario a lot. All the info is true but Mario was troubled and missed home comforts. Needed a guiding figure to help him. Wasn’t a bad guy just lacked the ability to deal with his emotions.
And I thought he was a spoilt childish brat
He certainly acts like a man who didnt have a father around. He doesnt understand boundaries and limitations.
Don Luigi's?
You know all of this from taking his order? You're amazing.
@@purehyperbole5727 or from seeing him everyday for some time?
He was absolutely unplayable for Italy against Germany at EURO 2012. One of the best individual performances I have ever seen.
This was a WILD time for football. Mario was one of many characters all existing around the same time. It felt like the stories couldn't stop coming.
Delighted to see THE PIES getting some recognition.
One instance of THE PIES graffiti was recently painted over with anti-lockdown slogans :(
Isn’t it on the M6 or is that another one?
@@frazer26 Hey, that's a good call. I dunno about the M6, but now I think about it, it was definitely on the M57, on the way into Switch Island. That's the only one I ever saw.
What is that about? Always wondered
It was a local band that had a great promotional campaign but weren’t as good as an actual band. They also managed to get the Pies slogan at Aintree race course one year 😂.
I remember when he was playing in Euros 2012 and thanks to his goals Italy advanced to final. I thought he was great, but the truth is, that often head is more important than pure talent. There are so much more less talented players who have better career than him...
Yes, Henderson and Pogba are a great example though pogba is on fire but he's also failed potential at Manchester united and henderson basically doesn't have much talent but got a winner's mindset
Any ability has to be backed up with hard grafting, or just listening to the team's sports scientists with what to eat/sleep/do etc!!!
@@dikshantkalyan700 Henderson has the highest work rate
Yeah Balotelli is still better than them. Having a title on paper doesn’t make you a better player. Iniesta, Xavi, Ibra have never won a Ballon D’or can show you exactly that. Balotelli is great
Their fans being extremely racist didn't help either tbf
Brendan certainly didn’t call Mario a “beautiful human being”.
Typical Brendan 😂
It was a year which made made me cry as a Liverpool fan😭
Well when ngog used to start in Rafa Benitez's tenure, I knew there was no hope 😭. Liverpool fans certainly have been through tough times.
I remember it so clearly 😭 Suarez had just left and Alexis had chosen Arsenal over us while we went and bought Rickie Lambert 💔
@@molefemashiane and Sturridge was injured for 90% of the season
One of the greatest talent that was wasted by his personal choices.
Wouldn’t say choice as such, he is wayward and impulsive.
@@007Fusiion and who's choice was that?
@@dendenn7383 Being impulsive is a compulsion, not necessarily a well thought out choice. Yes, it’s his action, he did whatever and he has to live with it.
@@007Fusiion being impulsive is still a choice though. everyones has impulses they dont act on; if they did the world wouldnt be a very nice place for attractive women for example. not to mention half of the stuff that caused balotelli to never live up to his potential wasnt impulse, but instead a deeper long term attitude problem. not training properly, not trying in drills, the insecurity i think was as big of a problem as the impulsiveness
one example of "you can buy talent, but you can't buy attitude."
Remember when he had fireworks in house, then it caught fire & asked raiola what to do. What a character😂
I still have a lot of sympathy for Balotelli, he's gone through a lot
I would love to see him finish his career with some sort of stability. I'd love to hear people describe him as a good teammate. And then have Mourinho, Mancini and Rodgers all say: he's changed.
hes been given more than hes had taken from him. not being a professional is nobodys fault but his
No he hasnt , rich family never struggled and threw away a massive talent
What boggles my mind is that he is still young, 31 years of age, with the way the athletes are going on late in their careers such as cristiano and ibrahimovic other olders i could see him make a comeback but its just his discipline and ego that would buckle him
if that can happen, it would have already happen. sad when he is in the 20s but at 30s is just pathetic
don't think he can make a comeback. those athletes who are still going strong in their thirties achieve their current sharpness through years of discipline all their professional life. Mario has been steadily going downhill with the way he approaches his training.
Cristiano and Ibra are the polar opposites when it comes to the part in the head. And Ibra had the crummy upbringing, but he has channeled it so differently than Mario. Both are physically powerful yet so agile. Mario is actually better in the air than Ibra.
What comeback do you mean? Ibra and cristiano play top football throughout their career. Even at 31. So there is no comeback for them. They always perform except for injury. Not attitude training problems or discipline
Never naming a comeback, it's why he plays for a small provincial club in a farmer's league of Turkey.
Oh God those pale days.... Thank You so much Klopp for turning it around 🙏
oh god, that was tough. i still get the chills when i hear the name borini
@@mamamamamamamable Same! Whenever I feel bad that we "only" have Jota as backup to the front 3, I remember that we used to have Lambert-Borini-Balotelli and immediately I don't feel too bad!
@@stevendchu haha, yeah those were bland days
I think Rodgers really got Liverpool out the dark ages.
Liverpool under Roy Hodgson was really the darkest era.
Imagine if Balotelli played up to his potential. Man would've been a legend for real!
This is why Tifo is the best sports channel on KZhead. Excellent video.
Would be good to see a video on his time at Man City. He seems to have had a happier time, even if the off field antics were similar and eventually he ended going to same way as he's done with nearly all of his clubs. Plus that means you also get to talk about his off the shoulder goal against, I think, Norwich.
‘Balotelli in Liverpool’ has slipped from my memory that even after watching the whole video I still can’t remember him playing
That Euro 2012 goal against prime Neuer is one of the best goals I've seen. Followed by the iconic celebration. This man could've been one of the greatest.
They didn’t even touch on him taking the ball away from hendo for a penalty in the Europa league that season…
And Gerrard throwing him under the bus on punditry lmao
Henderson did the same to DCL for England and missed it. Why is Henderson always involved in these situations?
@@sukhdevr3489 Coz he's an overrated bellend.
@@amjh4lah809 Henderson?
@@sukhdevr3489 Yep.
So so sad, always will be one of my favorite ever players that got me into the game, despite playing for Liverpool and Man City - a Chelsea/Azzurri fan
Liverpool was his last big chance but an iPhone is clearly more important
Rofl 🤣 sad but true 👍
true, i mean with that disastrous liverpool line up, he could shine. but no, lets have an iphone 6 instead
Tifo uploaded, now I can finally sleep in peace
Good night. LoL 😅
Klopp would never sign Balotelli, shows how far Liverpool have come since the BR days
BR didn't want him and wasn't backed properly in the market, after selling Suarez. There are multiple reports on this which are very interesting to read. :)
@@BossTutorials1 there are reports of managers not being backed in every transfer ever. no manager would turn around and say "yes thats exactly who i wanted" lmfao. just makes them weaker in their next plight.
@@BossTutorials1 We originally wanted Sanchez, but he chose Arsenal over us. Then Loic Remy, but he said no. BR was backed that summer though, we used the Suarez money to get Lallana, Can, Markovic, Lovren and Moreno. We just panicked and bought Balotelli
@@stevendchu no suarez money was not spend on the same transfer. Remember when club had ++net spend for several years. Bcos they did not spend on suarez money yet
@@stevendchu that's not being backed if you don't replace the goals
I love how Balotelli's transfer to Liverpool is tagged as 'one of the strangest transfer of recent times' when Liverpool got Rickie Lambert from Soton the very same window.
I remember going to the league cup game against Swansea and Mario's red Ferrarri been parked up outside Anfield. We all assumed he'd missed the team bus and rocked up in that, maybe his pal was asleep in the back haha
The “The Pies” reference was scarily accurate it was uncanny 😂
someone needs to repaint it badly
He just scored 2 goals to complete a comeback in the Turkish league
Finally an interesting football video which is not the same as the latest news on every other channel Awesome! Keep these up
Balotelli is still an icon. Look at how many views this video has compared to other tifo vids
As a City fan I’ll always love Mario. His never-ending antics made for great fun and he was exceptional when he really did his thing on the pitch. A corner-stone in our FA Cup win (2011) and our awe-inspiring title-charge (2012), he owned Old Trafford and every changing room he resided in. So many of us were heartbroken that he’d gone to Liverpool, a big rival even at the time; but watching this only helps to know that he always as polarising and hilarious during his time there, in spite of the struggles he was going through. Whatever he does, wherever he goes I hope he knows how much we, and so many others, love him. Graćie Mario 💙❤️
the iconic 'THE PIES' graffiti made it onto this... that's even crazier than watching Mario put a bib on...
Thanks so much for sharing
These animations are on point lol. Had me on the floor several times 😂
Haha The Pies! Yes! This is the best researched video of all time
Balotelli channeling the spirit of Barthez with the late night smoking sessions.
This was incredibly insightful.
This guy is one of a kind. There's never going to be another Mario. Doesn't give a single frick about anything.
Quite opposite, he did gave a lot of fricks. That's why he was so insecure.
I still love Super Mario, he is a legend in my book for his work in Inter and Milan, and of course, the Italian national side. One of the best stikers despite behavioral issues
A legend??? Jesus, wash your mouth out. We just calling anyone a legend these days 🙄
@@dendenn7383 he was incredible in his prime, he was held back (often by himself), but it is like saying Adriano is not a legend. Guy made a serious impact
@@JonathanRodriguez-nz9nw when was he ever in his prime lol
@@dendenn7383 shut up
wow i love mario and follow his journey hes the reason im a liverpool fan
Greatest player of all time
As a 19 year old at Inter, he had an appointment with his coach (Jose Mourinho) early in the morning.... He was nowhere to be found at the time of the meeting and when Mourinho called he was in France 🇫🇷 attending formula one 🏎 When quizzed by his manager about their meeting, Mario said formula one 🏎 is organized once every year but meetings in the coaches office can happen everyday.
"Everything is mind game!" Balotelli couldn't beat his own mind
Love that you got the 'pies' bridge in. 😂
LEGEND!
We all have that 1 friend that is like Mario in every possible way..
Just a misunderstood and troubled soul. Always love him at Liverpool
lol who love balo in liverpool, it was a disaster
@@ian234234234 I do. It's a bizzare transfer and bought his name and jersey number. He could do so much more but it what it is. He scored the winner vs spurs, unlucky against United, De Gea was on his way up.
I like how these videos give the story behind the stories.
Sometimes Joe's voice is so calm and soothing.
The detail in this video is unparalleled
The enigma the legend that is balotelli will never die
I forgot this happened, thanks for the reminder Tifo.
The deterioration of his adoptive father's health hurt me. Now I understand why his behaviour was so strange while at Liverpool.
everyone goes through personal tragedies, its just about if you can pick yourself up from them. pretty sure ronaldos dad died when he was young, and it didnt ruin his development
M62 artwork is iconic
He's like lightning, sometimes will strike like magic but Is unpredictable
What a talent he was… when he actually applied himself, it came in moments. His brace against Germany at the euros would be his career highlight (as well as the assist to agueroooooooooo”)
It's crazy to imagine he's only 31 but has been around for so long
Looking back at his career, inspired by watching this video, there’s only one conclusion; his talent is unbelievable. Dare I say, God given. With that kind of work ethic, you won’t reach the level he did, without solely depending on talent.
Mans really left training to go get the new iPhone 😂😂 Liverpool legend
I just watched recently American Psycho and i can just imagine at 4:12 Ballotelli seething with rage at his colleagues new phone - just like the business card scene lmao
Ah the banter era, thank god for Jürgen
Gerrard said in his book on talent alone he’d take Balotelli over Kane any day. I also remember Balotelli saying he wanted to play up front in a 2 more often and when he (very rarely) played with Sturridge he played well.
Balotelli legend!
Honestly one of the most frustrating players i have ever seen. He literally had everything you want from a huge talent but hes head never was right and thats what cost him in the end. The definition of a what if..
That "why always me celebration" always comes to mind when discussing Balotelli's career😂😂
Imagine losing one of the best strikers of all time and replacing him with a misfit that always makes comedic mistakes off the pitch
ok china man
Not better then Aguero EVER
Fernando Torres to Andy Carroll Luis Suárez to Mario Balotelli
Balotelli could have been a lot better than Suarez talent wise
@@Tony-my3sy alright racist
Great Video, Mario is the best ......
"Why always me." - Iconic
I love the inside scoop this video gave. Would’ve never known this stuff
As a scouser loved the attention to detail of the PIES graffiti on the M62
Peak Liverpool banter years
This man Balotelli was a wild lad!
“The pies” is very good detail!
It was the Liverpool banter era
Loving The Pies shout there 😂
Him and David villa were my favourite players when I was 10 years old, I was waiting for balotelli to make a comeback, for a long time now😕
Balotelli is one of the most interesting athletes ever
i remember his great performance in euro 2012. From that moment, i thought he would become important player for Italy national team for long period
Mario is a talent and it's a crime that he's not in a top division at his age
And today, he scored a brace against BESIKTAS
That paintball story is epic haha
Brilliant 🤩
Fun fact: I used to be naive and thought that Klopp could turn Balotelli's career around. Could you imagine??? One training session and I'm positive Klopp would send Mario to a work camp!
Yet even through Balotelli madness and chaos, the only ever assist he would produce in his Premier league career would propel the club into a completely different era of success and that very moment is one of the greatest in premier league history.
The word play is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that title