Could the Manchester City striker follow the former Manchester United ace in becoming England’s public enemy number one?
The similarities when you think about it are strikingly simple.
England are going into a big quarter-final match at a major tournament, and in their way stand a talented and functional team, led by one young talismen.
That man is controversial, plays his football in the Premier League, and divides opinion up and down the country.
For Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in 2006 read Mario Balotelli and Italy in 2012.
The script is the same, yet a different protagonist is coming to the fore, to do battle with Wayne Rooney and England on Sunday night in Kiev.
England lost in Gelsinkerchin six years ago, and Rooney was sent off for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho, leaving England up against it before their predictable penalty capitulation.
Ronaldo became public enemy number one for his sly wink at the referee after red-carding Rooney.
He became jeered up and down the country, and had to be talked out of quitting United by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The game this weekend is expected to be a similarly tight affair, which could be decided by a moment of magic, a mistake, or even a moment of madness.
Mario Balotelli as we know is capable of all three, and England will hope he presses the self-destruct button.
He will be hyped up to put one over on England, and won’t care about being public enemy number one. City fans will just hope there is no risk of fallout between he and Joe Hart or Joleon Lescott when they come up against each other.
Balotelli is seen as a somewhat jovial figure, but as we saw against Arsenal with his red card and one he should have had for a terrible tackle on Alex Song he has a sinister side to him.
Stamp on Scott Parker’s head on Sunday night again, and Balotelli will be booed out of every stadium bar the Etihad next season.
The stage is set for Balotelli to have an infamous night, and you get the feeling he is going to relish it. So long as he doesn’t wink.
England fans won’t want to see a repeat of this either…
Will Balotelli knock England out on Sunday?
image: © praguegallagher
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