Sylvio Berlusconi, Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister, was speaking as club owner and Honorary President to “Italia 7 Gold” sports channel about the possibility of the Rossoneri “make a financial sacrifice” to sign Mario Balotelli permanently.
The striker returned to the Rossoneri on loan from Liverpool this summer after a somewhat disastrous first season at Anfield where he scored only one goal and failed to cement a first team place.
Liverpool took a gamble on the Italian striker who has a history of disciplinary problems and falling out with managers and coaches. Jose Mourinho said Balotelli was unmanageable when he was in charge of rivals Inter Milan, causing Mourinho to drop him from the first team. Balotelli also annoyed Inter fans by wearing an AC Milan shirt on an Italian TV show.
Arriving at Anfield in August 2014 for a fee of £16 million, he was to replace the outbound Luis Suárez as he left for Barcelona. It wasn’t long before he annoyed the proud Liverpool fans however, in a Champions League game against Real Madrid, Balotelli was criticised by manager Brendan Rodgers for swapping shirts with opponent Pepe at half time.
There have been moments of pure magic and delight in Balotelli’s career. He won the Golden Boy award in 2010, an award given by sports journalists to the best young player in Europe, was man of the match in the 2011 FA Cup Final as Manchester City defeated Stoke City 1–0, he set up Sergio Aguero’s last-minute goal to win the Premier League title in 2012, City's first in 44 years and scored twice within the first 40 minutes in Italy's semi-final clash with Germany, as the Azzurri won 2–1 and progressed to the Euro 2012 final against European and World champions Spain.
Since returning to play for AC Milan Balotelli has made just two Serie A starts so far as he’s battled with a hernia injury. He has recently started playing again, scoring the lone goal from the penalty spot during the first semi final leg of the Coppa Italia against Alessandria.
“Will we sign him outright? It depends on him,” club President Berlusconi shrugged “He has extraordinary technical and physical qualities, especially if he can really show maturity in terms of his behaviour in his life and his position on the pitch.”
Winning the Coppa Italia is certainly the Rossoneri’s main goal this season after a terrible start to Serie A, they are currently sixth and unbeaten in last eight games, and Berlusconi sees it as Milan’s best chance back in to Europe “It depends on how much the squad believes. We really want the Coppa Italia, it’d give meaning to our season and allow us to return to Europe.”
Berlusconi will definitely be willing to make a financial sacrifice to acquire the striker. The owner dreams of having an all Italian team “We have the ambition to put-out an all-Italian team in the coming years. We’re looking in all the youth teams to try to identify some young men with secure futures” he told Eurosport.
So it is down to Balotelli if he really wants to move to Milan full time, if he can continue to play well and help Milan win Coppa italia, the owners will do all they can to sign him. But he must play well and behave himself, these are two things Balotelli has struggled to sustain over recent years.
Source: DSG
