Striker talks life in the UAE, problems with the Azzurri and ‘special feeling’ of playing for Manchester City

Whenever the name Mario Balotelli is brought up, particularly in Italy, the conversation is almost inevitably laced with a sense of regret. There is that lingering “What if?”, a collective sigh over a player who possessed the raw, undeniable potential to be one of the best in the world, if only things had been different.

Yet being in front of him, with a smile on his face, it becomes clear the 36-year-old striker has reached an unexpected level of wisdom and maturity, traits that shine through in his lucid analysis of Italian football’s current struggles and the vanishing street culture of the sport. As Balotelli reflects on what he would tell his adolescent self, there is also a distinct feeling that he has finally made peace with his own turbulent narrative, that he isn’t chasing the ghosts of unfulfilled expectations.