Mario Balotelli has a chance to rebuild his career at Nice, and given that he’s only 26 years of age then he has plenty of time to do so.
The player’s agent Mino Raiola has often spoken publicly about his frustrations with Balotelli. Raiola and the player are very close, but the agent has never been shy of telling a client where they’re going wrong and what they need to change… even publicly.
Speaking to Italy’s Rai, via Calciomercato, Raiola explained he regets taking Balotelli away from Manchester City, and feels the player should have toughed it out: “It was one of my biggest mistakes. I had to be harder and instead I was too soft.
“Football must be his priority, not a girlfriend or a wife. He has to be a top athlete who makes sacrifices for 11-12 years and then enjoy it for the rest of life. Mario hasn’t the concentration that players such as Nedved (an early Raiola client) had. If you get a negative reputation, you lose credibility and everything becomes more difficult.”
Raiola’s words about the player’s reputation causing difficulties are spot on, but Balotelli’s situation at Manchester City wasn’t great at the time he left. The dynamic between the player and Roberto Mancini was strange at times, and served to damage both the manager and Balotelli.
