Balotelli's back! Super Mario's Italy recall a sad reflection of Mancini's desperation

After missing out on a succession of transfer targets in the summer of 2014, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers told Steven Gerrard shortly before the close of the transfer window that he was going to gamble on Mario Balotelli.

His captain replied: "Uh-oh."

Balotelli's return to the Italy fold has provoked a similar reaction among many Azzurri fans. His former colleagues may well find it just as concerning.

Less than two years ago, Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini described Balotelli as "a negative person with no respect for the team."

The Juventus defender even went so far as to admit that he felt the enigmatic striker deserved "a few slaps" for the way in which he conducted himself on international duty, and added that for "someone who thinks he is among the top five players in the world, I never even thought he could be in the top 10 or 20."

Balotelli was hurt by that brutally honest assessment, but the pair promptly made peace when brought together via video call to discuss the matter on TV show Le Iene.

Chiellini even closed their good-natured discussion by saying he hoped they would play together again at Euro 2020.

That never happened, of course, with Balotelli getting nowhere near the Azzurri squad for last summer's shock success at Wembley.

Remarkably, though, a very odd couple could yet take the field together at this year's World Cup.

On Monday, it was confirmed that Balotelli has been sensationally called up by Roberto Mancini for a training camp at the end of January, after just over three years in the international wilderness.

Few saw this coming. However, Mancini is as desperate as Rodgers was back in 2014. Perhaps even more so.

Italy may have conquered Europe – and confounded stereotypes – in 2021 with a thrilling brand of dynamic, offensive football, but they did so without a prolific centre-forward.

Ciro Immobile, as he was once again at pains to point out earlier this month, netted twice at the European Championship and, as a former European Golden Shoe winner, his goalscoring record should be respected.

However, even at Euro 2020, Immobile once again failed to look anything like a world-class striker in the mould of Robert Lewandowski or Karim Benzema.

It has ever been thus with the Lazio legend, who has netted just 15 times in 54 appearances for Italy.

Balotelli has just one goal fewer from 36 outings, which is precisely why Mancini feels he is a gamble worth taking.

There is also the fact that the 31-year-old has found some form – and stability – playing under Vincenzo Montella in Turkey.

After a disastrous return to his native Brescia and a short stint at Serie B side Monza, Balotelli's career at the highest level appeared to be over.

Mancini has long served as something of a footballing father figure to the forward, but even he admitted to the Gazzetta dello Sport in 2019, "I love him but I can't do anything for him anymore."

It was all on Balotelli to get his act together if he were to salvage the final years of his career, and the early signs were that a surprise move to Turkish outfit Adana Demirsport last July had done little to settle Super Mario.

In just his third game for the Turkish outfit, he reacted furiously to being replaced by then-coach Samet Aybaba, even appearing to punch a team-mate, perhaps accidentally.