As Mario Balotelli rebuilds his career in Turkey, his Italy career disappearing further and further away into the rear-view mirror, it’s easy to forget how unstoppable he once was.
Back in the summer of 2012, the Azzurri striker travelled to the European Championships off the back of a title-winning campaign with Manchester City. Balotelli had even laid on that Sergio Aguero goal with what would be his only assist in the Premier League, and was in high spirits as Cesare Prandelli’s team set off for Poland to begin their campaign.
Italy themselves had some improving to do, of course. Their defence of their World Cup title ended in the group stage in 2010, though an unbeaten qualifying campaign offered hope. Balotelli didn’t score in any of those qualifiers, or in the first two games at the Euros proper, but he would later produce one of the best individual performances in recent Euros memory.
Balotelli’s discipline had been a concern in the lead-up to the tournament, with Prandelli reportedly going as far as demanding an apology from the young striker. However, he still made the cut for the Euros, joining fellow forwards Fabio Borini, Antonio Cassano, Toto di Natale and Sebastian Giovinco in the squad.
However, after drawing a blank in each of the first two games, he was dropped to the bench for the must-win fixture against Ireland. That was seemingly enough to revive Balotelli, who came on for the final 15 minutes and settled Italy nerves with an acrobatic volley which gave Irish goalkeeper Shay Given no chance.
A quarter-final came and went with little incident - Balotelli scored during the penalty shoot-out victory over England, but failed to beat Joe Hart in 120 minutes before then - and so it was on to the semis. Germany had run Spain close in the World Cup two years prior, and may have felt confident of setting up a chance for revenge in the final, but they had no way of predicting what Baloetlli would do to them.
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Jogi Low’s team had the measure of their opponents early on, but didn’t take their chances. And, after a relatively quiet tournament to that point, Balotelli took his when it mattered.
The opener came just 20 minutes in, with the Italian pulling off the shoulder of Holger Badstuber and planting his header beyond Manuel Neuer to find the back of the Germany net. “The way in which Italy's goals were scored shouldn't happen,” opposition captain Philipp Lahm said after the game, but without Balotelli’s clinical play the German mistakes might not have mattered.
The case in point was Balotelli’s second, 15 minutes after the first. Sure, he shouldn’t have been left in as much space as he was to run through on goal, but he still had to hold off Lahm and rifle an unstoppable shot which gave Neuer no chance.
It’s one where the celebration is as memorable as the goal, with Balotelli removing his shirt and standing stock-still. It was his way of saying to his critics ‘What? You didn’t think I could do this? I could always do this.’
Germany did eventually pull one back through Mesut Ozil, but it was too late, And when the dust settled, it was Balotelli who won all the plaudits.
"The perfect game, Azzurri in the final,” was the verdict from Italian newspaper La Repubblica . Tuttosport, meanwhile, had Balotelli front and centre with praise for his “fabulous” contribution.
The final would ultimately prove one step too far, with Spain taking no prisoners in a 4-0 win. However, considering the opposition and Italy’s own standing, Balotelli’s input can’t be underestimated.
Spain were the reigning world champions at the time of the game, while Germany would conquer all before them to do the same in 2014. For Italy to even be in the conversation, having lost in the group stages of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, speaks to the quality of the man dubbed “super Mario” in his country’s papers. If only he could have repeated the feat one more time.
