Liverpool flop Mario Balotelli still eyeing elusive Ballon d’Or trophy as he looks for reprieve under Reds manager Jurgen Klopp
Italian striker back at Anfield for pre-season training and is hoping to impress new boss as he enters final year of contract
LIVERPOOL flop Mario Balotelli believes his future lies at Anfield and insists he can still win the Ballon d’Or.
Balotelli is back with the Reds following a disastrous season on-loan at former club AC Milan.
The Italian scored just one league goal as Milan rejected the chance to make his deal permanent, and Balotelli will hoping for another shot with Liverpool next season.
The 25-year-old reported for pre-season training alongside the likes of Lazar Markovic and Mamadou Sakho, but his future under the German is far from clear.
Balotelli has just one year remaining on his current contract, but his notorious attitude and poor work-rate contrasts strongly with Jurgen Klopp’s intense pressing game.
However, Balotelli is confident he can bounce back and make his name as a global star at Liverpool, adding he still has Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or trophy in his sights.
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Balotelli told newspaper Corriere della Sera: “My future? I hope it will be at Liverpool.
“In my view there weren’t enough [expectations put on me], as I can do so much more than what I said. But it takes time.
“On the scale of 0 to 10, I stopped at five, but I’ll get to 10 eventually. I want to get there. I will win the Ballon d’Or.
“I do realise I’ve spent two years of my career when I could’ve been getting closer to 10 and instead stayed at five. The Ballon d’Or might seem laughable and I might have done everything to be the best, but the important thing is I realised it’s not too late.
“I don’t want to reach the end of my career with the regret of not doing everything I can to be the best.
“Up until two years ago I made do with what I had. I did well, knew I could play, so I was happy. It wasn’t in my mind to improve, as I thought that was enough.
“Over the last two years I started working seriously, yet the results did not arrive. Maybe I am paying the price for the previous 23 years.
“I am relaxed though, as I’m aware that in the last two years things have changed completely.”