Roberto Mancini has issued a clear and sobering message about Mario Balotelli’s future: Liverpool may be his last real chance to succeed at the top level. The Italian coach, who has managed Balotelli at both Inter Milan and Manchester City, acknowledged the striker’s talent but emphasized that time is running out for him to fulfill his potential.
“Mario is a good boy,” said Mancini. “But he knows that Liverpool is probably his last chance to prove what he can do on the pitch. It’s his last chance. I often speak to him by text, but only he can help himself.”
Balotelli joined Liverpool from AC Milan in the summer, but has struggled to adapt to the Premier League once again, with poor performances and a lack of goals drawing criticism. Mancini insists that the forward still has the desire to turn things around:
“He told me that he has the will and that he has to score more goals for Liverpool.”
Despite their tumultuous past, Mancini and Balotelli have maintained a strong connection. Mancini, now a free agent since parting ways with Galatasaray, seems to genuinely want the best for the 24-year-old striker—but made it clear that the responsibility now lies entirely with Mario.
For Balotelli, Liverpool may indeed be the final proving ground—a place where talent alone is no longer enough without consistency, discipline, and goals.
