Mario Balotelli believes he would have won a Ballon d'Or if he had stayed at Manchester City longer than his three year spell between 2010 and 2013.
Balotelli made headlines on and off the pitch during his three year spell at the Etihad, scoring 20 goals in 54 appearances before leaving for AC Milan at the end of the 2012/13 season.
After Balotelli left City, manager Roberto Mancini said the striker was 'like another one of my children' and that the Italian could go on to become one of the best players in the world.
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However, Balotelli only lasted a season at the San Siro before joining Liverpool for an ill-fated spell, with a loan back to Milan, and permanent moves to Nice, Marseille, Brescia, Monza and now Adana Demirspor.
Reflecting on his early career with City, the now 31-year-old told the Athletic his big regret is leaving City when he did.
“Even in the year when I left, I played very well in Milan for a year and a half, but after that, I had some problems. And now that I’m older, I know that I shouldn’t have left City at that time,” he said, adding that he felt he could have echoed the career of Sergio Aguero at the Etihad, or even won a Ballon d'Or.
“All these years seeing City improving, improving and improving. I could have been here like Sergio Aguero for a long time.
“When I was at City, probably one golden ball [Ballon d’Or] I could have won, I’m sure about this. But you know, when you grow up, you mature more, so…”
Another claim made by Balotelli was the suggestion he had the quality to match the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at their prime.
He said: “ I am 100 per cent sure that my quality is the same level as these people, but I… I missed some chances, you know? It happens.
“Nowadays, I cannot say I’m as good as Ronaldo, because Ronaldo won how many golden balls? Five? You cannot compare yourself to Messi and Ronaldo, nobody can. But if we’re talking about only quality, football quality, I have nothing to be jealous of them, to be honest.”
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