the three words ‘why always me?’ are synonymous with Mario Balotelli, with the iconic statement blending with the mystique of a player whose talent and antics off the pitch earned him recognition.
A career that has seen him win three Serie A titles, a Premier League and reach the Euro 2012 final has produced many standout moments, but the most memorable for many fans remains the “why always me?” incident.
Reading: Mario balotelli why always me
so what was it, when did it happen and what did it mean? goal brings you the definitive guide to Balotelli’s famous statement.
what does ‘why always me?’ means?
“Why always me?” is a catchphrase coined by Mario Balotelli that was printed on a jersey and revealed to the world as a message during the 2011-12 major league season.
The statement alludes to the reputation the striker had earned in the media after joining Manchester City, with the football press in England and around the world seemingly scrutinizing his every move.
a £24m signing from inter, balotelli was considered one of the best young strikers in the world when he arrived at the etihad in 2010, with roberto mancini even suggesting he could be as good as lionel messi and cristiano ronaldo, so the football world was paying a lot of attention.
all sorts of stories subsequently swirled around balotelli during his time at city, with rumors of raids on teammates being mixed in with a myriad of other allegations, all of which served to contribute to an image of the player as a volatile ‘bad guy’ character.
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Balotelli denied most of the stories attributed to him, but did admit to an incident involving fireworks at his home, where the curtains caught fire. yet he forged a mythology for himself in a heady cocktail of truth and falsehood.
This intense coverage, whether true or false, evidently weighed on Balotelli’s mind and he decided to approach it with the question, “why always me?”
per voi… for you… why always me??
when did mario balotelli use ‘why always me?’ shirt?
balotelli used the iconic ‘why always me?’ shirt during a derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford on October 23, 2011.
The stars aligned as Balotelli opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and proceeded to reveal the message on his jersey. however, as he pulled the City jersey over his head, he earned him a yellow card.
That punishment became insignificant, however, as city demolished united 6-1, with Balotelli scoring another goal in the second half.
the city’s kitman at the time, les ‘chappy’ chapman, who printed the lettering on the shirt, explained that the slogan was born in a moment of inspiration for the Italian striker.
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“It was just the perfect thing at the perfect time for that perfect person,” reflected Chapman.
“He wanted me to print something on his compression shirt for the game and I said, ‘Well, you can’t print anything that’s controversial or going to be offensive to the united fans, or anybody for that matter.’
“He thought for a minute or two and said a thing or two. I said, ‘no Mario, I don’t think that’s appropriate.’
“then he came up with it, out of the blue, he said, ‘and why always me?’ As soon as she said it, I knew he was the one.”
why did mario balotelli use ‘why always me?’ shirt?
in 2012, balotelli explained in a guardian interview with former oasis star noel gallagher that the ‘why always me?’ the message was intended as a direct response to the frequently negative media coverage of him
“it was [a message] for all the people… talking bad about me and saying nasty things about me,” the striker said. “and they don’t know me, so [I was] just asking ‘why always me? why always me?'”
In the same interview, much to the disappointment of Gallagher and no doubt many other fans in the city, Balotelli denied several of his alleged antics, revealing that he did not drive around Manchester dressed as Santa Claus and would not give £1,000 to a homeless, as reported in the press.
He also denied a story that he paid for gas for several strangers on a whim, saying he failed to drive an absent student to school and speak to the principal.
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