The latest Mario Balotelli implosion during Manchester City's ultimately futile Europa League victory over Dynamo Kyiv begs the question of when European soccer clubs will come to a realization that dawned on American sports franchises long ago--the benefit of phenomenal but volatile talent is often not worth the considerable cost. Granted, given that Balotelli couldn't quite make out how to put on his training bib during the pre-match warm-up of the fateful match, "genius" seems an inapt description. Not to infer that Balotelli is the only Premier League player who isn't a Mensa member; indeed, perhaps the most damning indictment of the intelligence of the modern footballer is that they often make boorish "pundits" like ESPN's Robbie Savage look positively clever in comparison. However, Balotelli stands out because while his physical gifts and natural skills are undeniably world class, his mental make-up falls somewhere between the schoolboy and Sunday pub league level.
Balotelli's Priors
And obviously, this isn't the first time the red mist has descended on the wilful Mario, as this epic display of petulance that occurred after his Inter Milan recorded a famous 3-1 victory over Barcelona at the San Siro last year can attest. His gesticulations both during and after the match were a response to a chorus of whistles that greeted an ambitious, wayward volley. To be fair, the tempestuous relationship between Balotelli, who was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents, and some of Inter's fan base has been complicated by rampant allegations of racism directed at him by Inter's ultras. Sadly, there's likely an element of truth to the claims that Balotelli was unfairly vilified by a bigoted segment of the club's support; on the other hand, he didn't exactly ingratiate himself to the rest of Inter's fans when he was duped into pulling on an AC Milan shirt on Italian television. There's absolutely no excuse for racism of any stripe, but when you play for Inter and you admit that AC Milan is your favorite club--another Balotelli faux pas--all bets are off. This obsession with loyalty isn't confined to soccer hooligans, either. For example, if New York Yankee phenom Jesus Montero admitted that the Boston Red Sox were actually his favorite baseball team, the reception he would receive at Yankee Stadium would likely be so obscene that the game's telecast would have to be rated NC-17. Ultimately, Balotelli's actions both on and off the pitch, suggest that Super Mario, while immensely talented, is a naïve, narcissistic and emotionally immature kid.
A Bad Bit of Business
Given the copious evidence of Balotelli's personality issues, it boggled the mind when City bid against themselves and splashed £24 million to rescue him for Inter last year, especially during a transfer season that saw Rafael van der Vaart and Javier Hernandez sold for fees reportedly under £10 million. Sure Balotelli's former and current manager, Roberto Mancini, has been able to coax 10 goals from the mercurial striker this season, but those have come against decidedly mediocre (at best) opposition (4 v Aston Villa; 1 v Fulham; 2 v West Brom; 2 v Salzburg and 1 v Timisoara). And with one of the biggest matches of the campaign approaching, Mancini will likely drop the wunderkind for cooler heads against Chelsea, tacitly admitting that the occasion is, at the moment, just too big for the player. If this happens, City fans are well within their rights to ask if a slew of goals against Villa and West Brom is the optimal return for £24 million. Couldn't Daniel Sturridge have provided that kind of production for a transfer fee of zero? In three years, the papers might be rife with stories about Balotelli finally fulfilling his vast potential, but he won't do so with City, who will likely have to sell him at a steep loss, most likely to AC Milan. My advice for the Rossoneri is simple--buyer beware.
Red Flags Mean Red Cards
American sports franchises--especially those in leagues, like the NFL, with salary caps--have been burnt by the seductive allure of mad genius before and have tried to develop mechanisms to minimize the risk of wedding themselves to a potential basket case. Specifically, the NFL administers the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test to and allows teams to conduct interviews with potential draftees at its scouting combine, all designed to allow franchises to understand the mental capacity of their future employees. Naturally, it doesn't always work (see Leaf, Ryan). Sometimes, you miss the red flags and end up with a lemon even after kick the tires. Nevertheless, in the NFL, there's at least the recognition of the possibility that a player's attitude or character could be so detrimental to a team that the harm he can do could actually supersede the value he can add on the field. Some players are literally more trouble than they're worth. Right now, Balotelli is one of those players. He should also serve as yet another admonition to transfer market buyers that a slew of impressive goals on YouTube and a din of hype does not a £24 million player make. Once the FIFA Fair Play rules actually start to bite, clubs that disregard this kind of fiscal prudence will do so at their own peril. So, in preparation for those regulations, you have to wonder if European clubs will ask to do a due diligence mental check on transfer targets to make sure they don't get saddled with the next Balotelli. After seeing his most recent meltdown, who can blame them.
No comments:
Post a Comment