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Will Mario Balotelli still be at Manchester City on the first day of next season?
Balotelli’s latest disciplinary problems have raised fresh doubts over the Italian’s future at the club and has prompted Sportingbet to offer odds on the forward leaving the club
27-Jan-2012 3:38:00 AM
By Jim Knight
Getty Images
Flick through the Oxford English dictionary and under the word ‘megalomaniac’ will come the following definition: "A person obsessed with grandiose or extravagant things or actions".
Flick through a picture book version and those words will be replaced with ‘Why always me?’ and a picture of Mario Balotelli.
Following the FA’s decision to charge the former Inter man with a four-match ban for his stamp on Scott Parker last weekend, the Italian striker has once again found himself under the spotlight.
For Roberto Mancini, this latest headache has rather conveniently disguised the fact that his team were lucky to escape with anything from a game Spurs could easily have won whilst also covering up the inadequacies of another of his big name signings, Stefan Savic.
Yet in what is arguably Manchester City’s biggest season in their history, the continual focus on a brilliant footballer with some serious behavioural issues over the attributes of the champions elect is not something Mancini can tolerate forever.
And with Balotelli’s agent suggesting his money-making client will need to look abroad if he continues to rack up the bans, Sportingbet are offering odds of 2/1 (3.0) that the he will leave the club before the start of next season.
Mancini’s stance over Carlos Tevez leaves no doubt that he will offload a talented player if it’s in the club’s best interests. So it would be of little surprise if after City do clinch this year’s title that they decide to wave goodbye to Super Mario.
That said, if City do indeed win this year’s Premier League, keeping the players who won them that title will be Mancini’s first task this summer. Digging his heels in is something Balotelli has shown he has the ability to do, but if the club take the same action themselves and even if the striker wants out, 1/3 (1.33) that he stays may not look such a short price after all.
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Jim Knight is Betting Editor at Goal.com and has been tipping football games since he was old enough to place a bet. He is a Leicester City fan, writer and member of the We Are Going Up Podcast
Follow Jim on
Flick through a picture book version and those words will be replaced with ‘Why always me?’ and a picture of Mario Balotelli.
Following the FA’s decision to charge the former Inter man with a four-match ban for his stamp on Scott Parker last weekend, the Italian striker has once again found himself under the spotlight.For Roberto Mancini, this latest headache has rather conveniently disguised the fact that his team were lucky to escape with anything from a game Spurs could easily have won whilst also covering up the inadequacies of another of his big name signings, Stefan Savic.
Yet in what is arguably Manchester City’s biggest season in their history, the continual focus on a brilliant footballer with some serious behavioural issues over the attributes of the champions elect is not something Mancini can tolerate forever.
And with Balotelli’s agent suggesting his money-making client will need to look abroad if he continues to rack up the bans, Sportingbet are offering odds of 2/1 (3.0) that the he will leave the club before the start of next season. Mancini’s stance over Carlos Tevez leaves no doubt that he will offload a talented player if it’s in the club’s best interests. So it would be of little surprise if after City do clinch this year’s title that they decide to wave goodbye to Super Mario.
That said, if City do indeed win this year’s Premier League, keeping the players who won them that title will be Mancini’s first task this summer. Digging his heels in is something Balotelli has shown he has the ability to do, but if the club take the same action themselves and even if the striker wants out, 1/3 (1.33) that he stays may not look such a short price after all.
Sign up with Sportingbet.com to claim up to £100 worth of Free Bets, great odds and unique football betting markets.
Jim Knight is Betting Editor at Goal.com and has been tipping football games since he was old enough to place a bet. He is a Leicester City fan, writer and member of the We Are Going Up Podcast
Follow Jim on
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