By the end, he was an absurd figure on these shores, a cartoon figure who scored twice in the 6-1 drubbing of Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2011 while wearing the T-shirt, "Why always me?"
Even though at the time we laughed at that gesture, wasn't the lack of self-respect quite tragic?
No one, not even Roberto Mancini, who towards the conclusion of his tenure at City was so despised by his own players that there was not a single supportive word to be found, actually responded to the question Balotelli posed or unlocked the riddles of his inner mind. Nine transfers in as many years after City, Balotelli's career tracks speak for themselves in terms of what transpired afterwards.
There were sporadic flashes of a different Balotelli, struggling to emerge, among the craziness and attention-seeking (the fireworks set off in his bathroom, the dart fired at a young youngster).
I recall learning that he had subtly started frequenting the Booth Centre, a shelter next to Manchester Cathedral that provides aid to hundreds of the city's homeless each year.
I asked Balotelli if he would accept to provide a few remarks and a personal photo to be published to the media to assist the cathedral staff's sponsored sleep-out to generate money for the location. He only operated spontaneously, so it would be difficult to get him there for something stage-managed, according to the word that came back.
Given Guardiola's complete intolerance of anyone who wastes his time—Joao Cancelo being one example—many would argue that this idea is absurd. Though intolerance and indifference are not the same thing.
Although Jack Grealish doesn't appear like a Guardiola type any more than Mario Balotelli does, the manager has taken the time to get to know the player and figure out what could help him develop. Since City's victory on the banks of the Bosphorus, a torrent of words has flowed, but none was more potent than Grealish's tear-streaked tribute to Guardiola soon after the final whistle. Grealish stated, "He put so much faith in me. "Even when I was terrible,"
If a player has an obsession with the game, Guardiola would accept flaws and transgressions, and that was the impression of
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