‘I got lost with long-term goals’ – Italian-Ghanaian striker Mario Balotelli reflects on career inconsistency

Mario Balotelli says his career was shaped by moments of brilliance disrupted by stretches of inconsistency, as the Italian forward opened up about his struggles with long-term focus.

The former Manchester City and Inter Milan striker, who left Genoa in the summer, hopes to relaunch his career but admits he has always worked best in short competitive bursts.

Balotelli, born in Italy to Ghanaian parents before being adopted at a young age, offered a candid appraisal of his mindset during an interview with Amazon Prime Video.

He said he learned early in his career that he performed with greater clarity when driven by immediate targets rather than long-range ambitions.

“During my career, I realized I was better able to perform with short-term goals.”

He went on to explain: “I often played two or three games in a row very well. Then in the fourth game, it was as if I wasn’t even on the pitch. The same goes for training.

“Then I thought, ‘I have to play well next time.’ Or I’d set myself a goal to score before the international break. I worked better that way.”

Balotelli concluded: “When I set long-term goals, however, I got lost after a while.”