Rome (AP) – Mario Balotelli is back in the squad of the Italian national soccer team for the first time since September 2018.
Selection coach Roberto Mancini surprisingly nominated the 31-year-old in his 35-man squad for a three-day training camp before the World Cup relegation of the Italians at the end of March. The idiosyncratic striker has scored 14 goals in 36 international appearances for the Squadra Azzurra.
Last July, Balotelli switched to Süper Lig promoted Adana Demirspor in Turkey and, according to the club, signed a three-year contract there. He previously played in Italy’s Serie B at AC Monza.
Balotelli is still remembered by many Germans because he scored both goals for Italy in the 2-1 victory in the EM semifinals against the DFB selection in 2012. In the past, he was repeatedly noticed by lack of discipline. Accordingly, his stints at big clubs like Inter and AC Milan, Manchester City, FC Liverpool or Olympique Marseille were often short-lived.