Forever Faster Training Series: Mario Balotelli will change the narrative
Mario Balotelli is difficult to define.
The lazy trope says he doesn't listen to his coaches. That's he's selfish, not a "team player," whatever that means.
For reasons that drive the news cycle, and which ensure there will always be something to talk about, the Balotelli narrative will persist.
But here's what we know about Mario Balotelli, going forward, at least: the Italian striker is one of the best athletes soccer has to offer.
AC Milan's trials and tribulations have captured headlines in the soccer community in recent years and rightfully so. It's been a rough stretch for a club drenched in history, but their supporters can take solace in a single fact: Balotelli remains.
Rumours of a potential sale persisted this summer, but those reports were refuted by senior Milan officials.
“I’m 99.8 percent sure Balotelli will remain," said club vice-president Adriano Galliani before the 2014-15 Serie A campaign begins.
Balotelli's athleticism sets him apart. Not everyone can dunk a basketball. But there is a large portion of his game that remains undefinable. Unlike most pros, who must train and train and train, Balotelli relies on his natural talents. Talents that allow him to do things like this.
August 12 served as a milestone for the brazen star. It does every year. Balotelli turned 24 this year and that marks the beginning of a new era for AC Milan's most important player.
Balotelli's speed and strength can be measured. He is one of the premier athletes in the world. On the field he'll need help from his supporting cast, but there is an opportunity for AC Milan to emerge from the abyss that was last season.
And that resurgence will be led by Balotelli, now in in his prime.
If a quote could serve as a personal profile of a player, this is it:
"When I score, I don't celebrate because I'm only doing my job. When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?"
Super Mario is the one asking the questions, and that's a good thing.