Career
Club
With an average of more than a goal per game,[5] he is considered a very promising footballer, being also featured on the national football press.[6][7]. At the age of 15, Barwuah was promoted to the senior side of his then-club Lumezzane, making his senior debut in a Serie C1 league match against Padova.
Following this, rumours linked him to several European clubs such as Fiorentina, [8]Manchester United and FC Barcelona; however he opted for Internazionale, who signed him to a 3-year deal, the maximum allowed for a youth player, on August 31, 2006.
As of March 12, 2007 Mario has scored 19 goals in 18 league matches for F.C. Internazionale Milano Under-17 Team, Allievi Nazionali. He also trains and plays with Internazionale’s Primavera Under-20 Team, Primavera. He has scored 8 times with the Under-20s, including a tie-breaking penalty in the Primavera league final won 1-0 to Sampdoria. These performances have prompted high praise[9] from several high-ranking people including Inter President Massimo Moratti. On December 16, 2007 Balotelli made his first team debut replacing David Suazo in a Serie A match won 2–0 by Inter at Cagliari. Three days later, he was featured in the starting lineup in a Coppa Italia match against Reggina Calcio and scored two goals in a 4–1 win.
On January 30, 2008 “SuperMario” Balotelli (as he is nicknamed, in reference to the eponymous videogame character) gained national news after he scored two goals against Juventus in the return leg of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, being instrumental in a 3–2 away win for the nerazzurri. He then scored his first Serie A goal on April 6, 2008 in a 2–0 away win against Atalanta. He scored his second Serie A goal only a week later, after a one-on-one with Fiorentina goalkeeper Sébastien Frey. On May 11, 2008, in a home match against Siena, which would have given Inter the league title in case of a win, he first took a corner, assisting Vieira’s goal, and then scored one himself, but it was not enough to give his team the scudetto as the game ended in a 2-2 draw and Roma reduced the gap to just 1 point behind the nerazzurri with a win. (Inter did clinch the title in the last game of the season.) Although Balotelli could sign a maximum of 5-year contract after his 18th birthday as he is no longer protected by FIFA youth player regulations, he signed a 3-year contract at an age of 17 years and 10 months.
International
Due to Barwuah’s legal problems, he did not manage to answer a number of call-ups received by Italian national Under 15 and Under 17 teams in the past, as he is still considered a Ghanaian immigrant.
On August 7, 2007, five days before his 17th birthday, he received his first senior International call-up from Ghana Coach Claude Le Roy for a FIFA International friendly match against Senegal in the New Den Stadium in London, England on August 21, 2007, but declined the offer citing once again his willingness to play for Italy when he becomes eligible. He also stated his willingness to represent Italy at the international level once he will be able to acquire an Italian passport.
Now he is avaible.
