Mario Balotelli believes he deserves a call-up to the Italy national team, insisting he is still the best striker available to the Squadra Azzurra.
It has been more than five years since Balotelli last played for Italy, earning him 36 caps and 14 goals. He currently plays for Turkish club Adana Demirspor and has been off to a good start since arriving in September, scoring three times in five Super Lig matches. The 33-year-old feels confident and believes coach Luciano Spalletti should consider his return to the national team.
“ If I am doing well, I always consider myself the strongest”he told TVPlay. “Did both players play (against Ukraine)? How many shots did they take together? Two ? I want to recover and play for the national team. I still hope someone will call me. I met Spalletti and met him several times. We made a few jokes when we met in a friendly with Napoli, but I have no relationship with him. »
Italy almost missed out on Euro 2024 as a goalless draw against Ukraine in their final qualifier saw them leapfrog their opponents and move into second place in the group. Ukraine felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the final minutes of the match, which could have resulted in Squadra Azzurra being eliminated. Spalletti had few options when it came to choosing a striker in his starting XI, with Raspadori, Scamacca and Moise Kean the only candidates for the position.
It will probably take something special for Balotelli to convince Spalletti to call him up for Euro 2024. The striker has had a career full of ups and downs, with stints at AC Milan, Inter, Manchester City, Liverpool and Marseille, among others.
