Mario Balotelli’s mother Silvia reveals he “cried” after the Germany semi-final and she rang Cesare Prandelli to thank him for putting her son on the right path.
There were emotional scenes in Warsaw on Thursday when Balotelli rushed to the touchline and was hugged by his adoptive mother in the stands after scoring a brace.
Mario Balotelli’s mother Silvia reveals he “cried” after the Germany semi-final and she rang Cesare Prandelli to thank him for putting her son on the right path.
There were emotional scenes in Warsaw on Thursday when Balotelli rushed to the touchline and was hugged by his adoptive mother in the stands after scoring a brace.
“When he feels in difficulty, under attack or betrayed, Mario reacts by clamming up. He isolates himself from others and that’s what happened before the Ireland game,” Silvia told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We struggled to contact him and he wouldn’t answer messages. This is why I wept with joy. Those two goals in such a wonderful and important match liberated him, as his talent and the little genius inside came out. He managed to prove what he wanted to, finally.”
The player born to Ghanaian parents was adopted by his family in Brescia at the age of two and father Franco has pledged to be in Kiev for the Final tomorrow.
“It’s very difficult to see Mario cry. The last time was perhaps because of Jose Mourinho,” continued Silvia.
“It’s also difficult for him to hug me like that in front of everyone. As with every young man, he gets embarrassed to be seen with his Mum, but at that moment he was too happy. He whispered in my ear to give him a gift and bring his father to Kiev. I went back to Italy, but we’ll both be there on Sunday.”
Being an Italian Mamma, Silvia told Mario off for getting a yellow card by whipping off his shirt for the second goal.
“He said he was fed up of everyone criticising him for not celebrating, so he decided to invent something.
“My son often tells me he is ‘not arrogant, but I feel I have something special within me.’ That’s what he says.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport also reveals father Franco will bring some white chocolate to Kiev, as it was the treat he’d always give Mario as a kid before he went out to play football.
Silvia also sent out a message to another ‘father’ figure, Italy Coach Prandelli.
“Prandelli is a good man and he has taught my son many important things, so I called him today to say thank you.”