Mario Balotelli, the misunderstood – Magazine Contrasti

If the ancient jealousy of the Greek gods for human mortality is true, Mario Balotelli has more than one enemy beyond heaven. In fact, impermanence is not mortality, but bliss in desire, bliss in the moment, tears in fear. What is life if not to marvel at what you miss? And what does the immortality of the gods mean if not the fear that the repetition of existence is itself a dangerous contradiction? Mario Balotelli is the king of impermanence. He is tall, handsome and intelligent. But he is insecure, hurt and vulnerable at the same time.

Attacking him has been the most popular stylistic exercise of a moralistic, grumbling and anything but empathetic press in these long fourteen years – because the legend of Mario Balotelli begins in 2009, the opening year of Inter’s treble. It is perhaps no coincidence that the journalist who had the courage to defend them is also the only contemporary who can stand alongside the masters of the past, the Brera and Arpino families: Gianni Mura. “You don’t ask him what he can’t give,” sang Luigi Tenco my boy. He was referring to love, but it applies to everyone, including Balotelli. I defend it in this case because in a struggle of civilization and culture only conscious and motivated volunteers can be recruited, otherwise it is a front operation. Would Balotelli be useful as a testimonial? Yes, as long as he is convinced of it» wrote Mura su The Republic on October 15, 2013.

Specifically, the “fight” Mura was referring to was the fight against the mafia. Balotelli, cited as Anti Camorra symbol from Rosea for a match that the national team was to play in the municipality of Quarto on a field confiscated from organized crime, he answered the newspaper in an ungrammatical but sincere tone: “You say that!” I come because football is beautiful and everyone has to play where he wants, and then there’s the game!” to prove it Don’t worry about the image of a dedicated gamer/sportsman. This is a great credit to us: indeed, we admire the openness of a boy who remained a child while the world wanted him to grow up. At the same time, we therefore hate the portraits of the “adult, finally mature Balotelli”. Damned, dangerous nonsense!

At 16, when […]

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