The enigmatic protagonist that is Mario Balotelli has inexplicably become a fan-favourite for his off the pitch lunacy and irreverent attitude towards life at a world-class football club. Yet despite his well-documented shenanigans in his short time at Manchester City, the 21-year old Italian has made a pretty big positive impact in his side’s title bid this season. But for all the crazy things Mario has become known for, displays of petulance and violence on the pitch are a trait that he and the club could certainly do without.
With the news that Balotelli has been charged with violent conduct for his stamp on Scott Parker, the question as to whether he is just too temperamental will no-doubt surface once again. The incident itself looks bad, and although open to interpretation, the general consensus appears to be that Mario purposefully kicked Parker in the head. Whether it be careless or violent, the incident surrounds City’s forward with more media headlines and more questions to answer from fans and English onlookers who are eager to get to the bottom of the Italian’s erratic behaviour. Many people say that it is great to have such a character in the English game, someone who is completely different and plays by his own rules, but there has to be a point where people begin to question his attitude and respect for the game.
When looking at the offence on Parker at the Etihad Stadium on the weekend, it’s hard to argue a case for Balotelli. If it was anyone else, we would most probably coming down pretty hard on the offender, not only because Scott Parker seems like a genuine good guy and showed displays of sportsmanship in the game, but because any kind of inflicted head injury is treated more seriously these days. I hope that the incident doesn’t just get brushed aside as ‘one of those silly moments Mario has every now and then’, because this is one of the times where he has crossed the boundary of being a generic muppet to potentially injuring an opposition player.
Not only that but it will inevitably incur a ban from the FA. This puts him out of action at a time where his team could do with his services, particularly due to the ridiculous situation with Carlos Tevez whom not only would they not consider playing at this moment in time, but quite possibly don’t even know his current whereabouts.
If I were Roberto Mancini, I would be pretty annoyed to say the least, because not only does Mario’s actions incur what is initially a four game ban because of his earlier sending off in the season, it gives the team a headache. They have to review the decision and the incident and decide whether or not to appeal, which could mean the ban is extended. It brings further pressure on Mancini’s shoulders and forces him to take a media stance and face a wave of media questions as to his viewpoint on the whole situation.
This game, although Balotelli was only involved for half an hour, sums up pretty well the type of character we have come to expect from him. One minute he is seen to stamp on an opponent’s head and the next he is winning his side a penalty and converting the spot-kick with consummate ease. If one thing’s for certain, he really does not appear affected in any way with the controversy and attention surrounding him. The pressure on his shoulders just seems to thicken his skin and add to the arrogance when celebrating victory.
It’s the ultimate double-edged sword for Manchester City in that he’s a great young player with great confidence who they may come to rely on soon enough. But at the same time, his care-free attitude and petulance could see him go off the rails in spectacular style, with no-one to tell him what to do or where to turn. But now he has no-where to hide, and the match against Tottenham was a high profile one in which many people would have seen the not-so-nice side of Balotelli for the first time on a football pitch, sowing seeds of doubt in the minds of people who thought he was an oh-so-lovable idiot.
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