Mario Balotelli has followed in the footsteps of teammate and strike partner Carlos Tevez by announcing that he does not like Manchester, and is feeling homesick whilst there. Tevez has openly sought after a way out of Manchester since handing in a transferrequest in January, and has stressed his desire to see more of his children and family who have been unable to settle in Manchester. At just 20, Balotelli does not have any children, nor is he married, but insists that he is missing the chance to be at home with family and friends. Along with these comments, Balotelli discussed his desire to one day play for Milan, raising questions as to whether or not the forward is in fact ‘homesick’, or just looking for way out of a city that is not to his “tastes”.
These questions have also been raised over Carlos Tevez, with many asking why such complaints were not made during his time at either West Ham or Manchester United. Are we to believe his family were settled in London? Or that such ‘sickness’ didn’t really kick in until his move across Manchester? It is only since his proposed move to Corinthians fell through last month that City fans could be certain their star man was not moving for his football, but solely for his family. Both Inter Milan and Real Madrid are reportedly interested in acquiring the Argentinean, and were Tevez to join another European club, then the credibility of his alleged ‘homesickness’ is certain to be brought into question once more.
It is often thought that cries of feeling ‘homesick’ tend to come about when a player is struggling to settle or find the kind of form that is expected of them. Balotelli’s first season in English football was far from prolific, and one could not be blamed for thinking the Italian is simply trying to excuse this fact more than anything. There are on the other hand, players who have moved abroad and had successful spells with their new clubs, yet seek a return to their homeland due to a failure to settle in. Both Ian Rush and Jimmy Greaves spent a season in Italy, Rush with Juventus, Greaves at Milan, and despite continuing to score goals and play well for their clubs, both players returned to English football the following year.
Spanish winger Jesus Navas has played at Sevilla his entire career, despite heavy interest from some of Europe’s top clubs. In 2006, a proposed move to Chelseabroke down after Navas claimed his homesickness would get the better of him. The severity of his condition has since come to light, with the midfielder reported to suffer from anxiety attacks and seizures when away from Seville for too long. A move away from Sevilla looks unlikely then, but should he ever do so and complain of ‘homesickness’, it seems fair to assume such claims would be genuine.