10 Moments That Define Mario Balotelli's Career

9. Hauled Off Before Half Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsN6svBWYg0 Pre-season is often the time for players to avoid risks, smoothe themselves back into the rhythm, and in general, take it easy. Two years ago, Mario Balotelli apparently took that far too literally, much to the fury of boss Roberto Mancini and indignance of LA Galaxy supporters. During a pre-season trip to the US, the inventive David Silva threaded a concise through ball for the Italian to latch onto. With just the goalkeeper to beat, however, he casually ambled towards the ball, before trying a half-hearted 'Roulette' flick, which impotently meandered wide. Immediately, boos rang out around the ground, with US supporters aghast at the callous display of disrespect shown to them by a supposed European superstar. His relationship with boss Roberto Mancini looked to be reaching breaking point when the Italian vented his fury by immediately hauling off the striker following hs apparent lack of sportsmanship. With the stadium having been turned into a cauldron of vitriol and bile within an instant, a disgruntled Balotelli angrily trudged towards the sideline, before pleading his case - he had thought he was offside. With a whistle having sounded from the crowd, the Italian maverick had incorrectly presumed that the referee had decreed him to be offside, allowing him to make the consequential decision of flaccidly backheeling the ball out of play. Unperturbed, a visibly disgusted Mancini signalled for him to sit down, as England international James Milner took his place. Why was this moment of unclarity so important however? The subtext behind this incident speaks of how Balotelli was never afforded the benefit of the doubt - not even by his own manager. Had his strike partner Edin Dzeko been the one to befall the trickster in the crowd with the whistle, would he have been subjected to the embarrassment of an immediate substitution? Would the US supporters and commentators alike have been so quick to assume that the player's intention was to humiliate the opposition, rather than it just being an innocent mistake?