Some footballers manage to make the most of their talents.
Think of guys like Nicky Butt, or Mark Noble, or Peter Crouch, whose talent is largely being freakishly tall.
Other footballers, however, are a little more mercurial, and questions around whether they have ever, or will ever, reach their full potential follow them from club to club.
Italian striker Mario Balotelli is one of those players, and manager after manager has spoken about the difficulties of trying to get the best out of him.
So far at Marseille, his current club, things seem to be going pretty well, and he’s banged in four goals in his first six matches. His latest effort was a peach, but it’s what came after the goal that has attracted attention around the world.
Let’s start with the goal and the celebration from a regular angle:
Some goal by Balotelli and the celebration pic.twitter.com/ASInoyQgZs
— Lana (@Cocolitooo) March 3, 2019
Great goal, but I just cannot get on board with the celebration.
Maybe it’s because I’m the wrong side of 30, but whatever happened to the one-arm-raised wheel away towards the corner flag?
Throw in a punch or a kick on the flag itself, and then pump your chest and shout at the top of your lungs.
I’m old school like that.
Anyway, Balotelli actually live-streamed his celebration on Instagram, adding it to his Insta-Story.
Later, he uploaded the video in a post:
Marseille then uploaded a compilation of sorts to their Instagram account, which included a few other angles:
Spare a thought for the guy waiting behind the goal with Balotelli’s phone.
Francesco Totti fans will remember that he also snapped a selfie as part of his goal celebrations back in 2015, but he waited until after the match to upload it, making Mario’s the first professional goal celebration posted live to social media.
I find it all rather cringeworthy, but Mario has some way to go before he can rival Jesse Lingard.
Great player, awful on social media:
View this post on Instagram
I actually make myself chuckle, am i strange? I think i am #1000Pyhsicality
Imagine what Roy Keane would say if you came to training after posting that shite?
[source:newsau]
