Balotelli mad
Inter teen star Mario Balotelli is furious that legal red tape has prevented him representing Italy at this summer’s Olympics.
The 17-year-old has been one of the revelations of the season and is seen as one of the peninsula’s most exciting prospects.
However, despite being born in Palermo, Balotelli isn’t able to become an Italian citizen until his 18th birthday on August 12, which is too late for him to be registered for the Olympic Games in China.
The problems have arise because he is the son of Ghanaian immigrants and has never been officially adopted by the Balotelli family, who were given custody of him by the courts when he was just three.
“The Italian law is unjust and needs to be changed,” the former Lumezzane man raged to the Corriere dello Sport. “I feel like a Second Division citizen.”
Balotelli has already snubbed the chance to represent Ghana because he wants to follow his Azzurri dream.
“Even having been born here, I am still not being recognised as a citizen and I find that to be enormously unjust,” he continued.
“I have turned down an invitation to play for Ghana because I want to wear the Azzurri shirt.
“The reason I did so is because I was born in Italy and I have always lived there, so I feel like an Italian.” (C4)
Liverpool also
Liverpool are planning a lucrative contract offer for Inter Milan starlet Mario Balotelli.
Corriere dello Sport says Liverpool are aware that Inter are struggling to secure the 17 year-old striker to a new deal.
Inter are offering Balotelli £350,000-a-year to re-sign and Liverpool are ready to make a superior bid to bring the youngster to Anfield in the summer.
Chelsea have also made enquiries after the teenager in recent weeks. (tf)
Chelsea want Balotelli
Chelsea striker Drogba has been strongly linked with a transfer away from Stamford Bridge for several months now, and he is widely expected to move on to pastures new in the summer.
Inter are believed to be extremely interested in signing the Ivorian, particularly if his former boss at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho, takes over the reigns at San Siro from Roberto Mancini.
According to Tuttosport Chelsea are prepared to sell the 30-year-old to the Nerazzuri, but only if wonderkid Mario Balotelli is included in an exchange deal.
Balotelli is widely regarded as one of Italy’s most promising young talents, and the 17-year-old has burst onto the scene this season, recently scoring in consecutive games in Serie A against Atalanta and Fiorentina.
Two Chelsea scouts travelled to Italy several weeks ago to watch him in action for Inter’s youth team, and were left very impressed.
Inter are unlikely to consider releasing Balotelli, however this viewpoint could change if he refuses a new contract offer until 2013. Balotelli’s life story is a very interesting one.
He was born in Palermo to Ghanaian immigrants, but at the age of just three a court ruling entrusted him to the Balotelli family who lived in Brescia. (tmw)