Balotelli, the Italian striker born on August 12, 1990, was a stalwart of the Italian national team, moving from club to club, and now plays for Serie B's Monza. His imaginative style of play often puts opponents on the defensive, but his moodiness and sudden changes in character have caused his game to fluctuate, and he has gradually moved away from the ranks of top strikers. He was known as "Pacman", a name that was both a tribute to his skills at the height of his powers and a play on his outspoken character.
Balotelli did not have a good birth, spending his childhood in a crowded apartment in Palermo, Italy, where it was dark and damp and even sunlight was hard to reach. His family had a difficult life due to a language barrier and poverty. At the age of two, Balotelli's life was in danger due to a severe intestinal infection that depleted the family's savings. Unable to support him, his parents abandoned him when he was two years old. Fortunately, he received help from the social welfare department in 1992 and was adopted by an Italian-Jewish family in 1993, where he felt the warmth of a family, but his skin color soon made him an anomaly in the eyes of his peers.At the age of five, he was introduced to soccer and trained hard in a racially discriminatory environment.
At the age of 11, Balotelli joined AC Lumezzane as a professional. He tried out for Barcelona's La Masia youth camp in La Liga, but was unable to join due to treatment. at the age of 15 years and 7 months, he set a record for being the youngest to start a game in the Italian professional league. His hard training and outstanding performance attracted the attention of FC Internazionale Milano, and he eventually joined them in the summer of 2006, where he excelled in the youth team.
Balotelli suffered from racial discrimination during his career in Milan, but he always wanted to represent the Italian national team and win recognition. However, the shadow of racial discrimination was always with him. During matches, he encountered jeers and insults from fans, but he never gave up and responded with his performance on the pitch. During the epidemic, he expressed his protest against racial discrimination through live streaming and social media and supported Floyd, an American citizen.
