‘Mad’ Liverpool Star Used to be a ‘Manager’s Nightmare’ | OneFootball

Fabio Borini Recalls ‘Mad’ Mario Balotelli Moments at Liverpool Training

Fabio Borini has looked back on his time at Liverpool with a revealing insight into the unpredictable character of Mario Balotelli. The Italian forward, who spent just one full season at Anfield, explained how his compatriot’s talent was often overshadowed by his behaviour, both on and off the pitch.

Borini arrived under Brendan Rodgers, at a time when Liverpool were striving to build on the momentum of their near-title run in 2013/14. Although Borini had loan spells away from the club, he trained and played alongside Balotelli, who was signed to provide goals after the departure of Luis Suárez. The experiment, however, never produced the results Liverpool had hoped for.

Balotelli’s Training Ground Brilliance and Unpredictability

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast with Sam Allardyce, Borini described exactly what made Balotelli such a difficult figure to manage.

Borini said: “It was mad. He was mad. But again, like he would be one of the top players that I played with if it wasn’t for that side of him that obviously disrupted all his raw talent and abilities.

“He’s used to say in training when he was losing two-nil. He said ‘No, I am just going to score three or four and we’ll win the game’. He would literally do that in five minutes.”

These flashes of brilliance were never in question. Balotelli had the ability to dominate training sessions, just as he had made headlines at Manchester City with his famous “Why always me?” celebration. Yet, as Borini pointed out, his attitude and behaviour continually undermined his footballing gifts.

Rodgers’ Dilemma with Balotelli

The challenge for Rodgers was clear. A player of Balotelli’s ability could win games on his own, but his disruptive presence risked unsettling the entire dressing room. Borini explained the dilemma in straightforward terms.

He said: “Oh yeah. Because you know he can win you the game at any time. So what are you going to do?

“Are you going to use him for that reason or disrupt all the dressing room for his behaviour during the week.”

Rodgers made his decision, and Balotelli’s time at Liverpool was short-lived. He played 28 matches, scoring only four goals, before being loaned back to AC Milan and eventually moving on to Nice after Jürgen Klopp arrived.

Legacy of Balotelli at Liverpool

Borini himself went on to have spells with Sunderland and AC Milan, but his reflections on Balotelli offer an insight into one of the most mercurial figures of the modern era. Fans still remember Balotelli for his extraordinary talent and his chaotic personality.

As Borini summed up, Liverpool supporters witnessed moments of genius on the training pitch, but the promise was never fulfilled in competitive matches. The story of Balotelli at Liverpool remains a reminder of how talent alone is never enough without discipline, focus and commitment to the team.