Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli
Balotelli with Marseille in 2019
Personal information
Full name Mario Balotelli Barwuah[1]
Birth name Mario Barwuah
Date of birth (1990-08-12) 12 August 1990 (age 33)[2]
Place of birth Palermo, Italy
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[3][4][5]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Adana Demirspor
Number 9
Youth career
2001–2006 Lumezzane
2006–2007 Inter Milan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006 Lumezzane 2 (0)
2007–2010 Inter Milan 59 (20)
2010–2013 Manchester City 54 (20)
2013–2014 AC Milan 43 (26)
2014–2016 Liverpool 16 (1)
2015–2016AC Milan (loan) 20 (1)
2016–2019 Nice 61 (33)
2019 Marseille 15 (8)
2019–2020 Brescia 19 (5)
2020–2021 Monza 12 (5)
2021–2022 Adana Demirspor 33 (18)
2022–2023 Sion 18 (6)
2023– Adana Demirspor 16 (7)
International career
2008–2010 Italy U21 18 (7)
2010–2018 Italy 36 (14)
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing  Italy
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up 2012 Poland–Ukraine
FIFA Confederations Cup
Third place 2013 Brazil
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 September 2018

Mario Balotelli Barwuah[6][7] (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmaːrjo baloˈtɛlli]; Barwuah; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Süper Lig club Adana Demirspor.

Balotelli started his professional football career in 2005 at Lumezzane, before joining Inter Milan in 2007. He won the treble (Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League) in 2010. Balotelli reunited with Internazionale manager Roberto Mancini at Manchester City in 2010, helping them win a Premier League title and FA Cup. He moved back to Italy in January 2013, signing for Inter's rival club, AC Milan, before returning to the Premier League with Liverpool 18 months later. Following a return to Milan on loan, Balotelli departed to France, playing for Nice and Marseille in Ligue 1. He returned to Italy a third time, joining Serie A club Brescia in summer 2019, and Serie B club Monza in late 2020. The following summer, Balotelli signed for Turkish club Adana Demirspor.

Balotelli earned his first cap for Italy in a friendly match against the Ivory Coast in 2010. He amassed over 30 caps and represented his country at UEFA Euro 2012, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He helped the national side reach the final of Euro 2012, scoring twice against Germany in the semi-final, and won bronze at the Confederations Cup. Balotelli is Italy's joint-top-scorer in the UEFA European Championship,[8] and joint-top-scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup.[9]

Regarded as a highly promising player in his youth, Balotelli is a versatile forward with strength, pace and an eye for goal. He is regarded as one of the best penalty kick takers in world football.[by whom?] Despite his talent, Balotelli has been criticised for his poor attitude on and off the pitch.

  1. ^ "2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil: List of Players: Italy" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 7 June 2013. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2013.
  2. ^ "Mario Balotelli". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Mario Balotelli". Liverpool F.C. Archived from the original on 21 April 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Mario Balotelli" (in French). FC Sion. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference SW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil List of Players" (PDF). fifa.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 10 June 2014. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  7. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale N. 210" [Official Communication No. 210] (PDF). legaseriea.it (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 22 April 2016. p. 2. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  8. ^ Menicucci, Paolo (15 April 2016). "Stars of UEFA EURO 2016: Gianluigi Buffon". UEFA.com. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Confederations Cup: Gol Fatti" (in Italian). Italia1910. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

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