Mario Balotelli responds to James Milner’s Manchester City comments

Mario Balotelli has responded to former Manchester City teammate James Milner after the veteran midfielder compared him to an “11- or 12-year-old” during a recent discussion about their time together at the club.

Milner reflected on Balotelli’s personality in the City dressing room, claiming the Italian striker often looked for attention when teammates were focused on something else. “Like having an 11- or 12-year-old in there, really,” Milner said.

He recalled moments when Balotelli would allegedly make noise, act unpredictably or damage things simply to draw reactions from others. “He’d just do something completely stupid just for people to look at him,” Milner added. “Make noise, do something random, smash things up, to get attention.”

Balotelli did not accept the description without a reply. Reacting to footage of Milner’s comments on Instagram, the forward wrote: “Wow, James, I think you exaggerate with the kid part,” accompanied by a frustrated emoji.

The pair shared a dressing room at Manchester City between 2010 and 2013, a period that included the club’s memorable 2011-12 Premier League title triumph. Balotelli remains one of the era’s most colourful figures, while Milner has continued to be known for his professionalism.