Former Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi has shared his views on Mario Balotelli’s career, describing the striker’s early promise and subsequent challenges with a mix of affection and regret.
Materazzi, who won the Treble with Inter in 2010, played alongside Balotelli during the forward’s formative years at the club.
Balotelli, who has Ghanaian roots, was widely regarded as one of Italy’s brightest young talents.
He burst onto the scene at just 17 years old, impressing teammates and coaches with his strength, pace, and technical flair.
Materazzi, now looking back on those years, still speaks of him with paternal fondness.
“Mario is like a son to me: I adore him,” Materazzi said in an interview with OLBG. “We have the same friendly relationship now. He still plays for Genoa. I have never seen a young player at 17 like Mario.
“He was incredible: he played as if he had five years of experience. Strong, fast, with fantastic technique. But he got lost along the way because at 17 he had already won everything.
“Then he went to Manchester City, Milan, Liverpool… at that point, he needed a kick, a reality check. He needed my rules. Back then, he wasn’t happy about that, but now he remembers me fondly. I believe I taught him the rules.”
Now 34, Balotelli most recently turned out for Genoa in the 2024/25 season, as he attempts to extend a career that has seen both brilliance and instability.
While his early years hinted at a long reign at the top, his journey has instead become a case study in talent complicated by temperament and off-field distractions.
