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Balotelli: Conte was right to drop me from Italy

Balotelli: Conte was right to drop me from Italy

The soap opera that is (was?) Mario Balotelli’s life has taken another, introspective turn.

The striker, currently in his final year with Nice, admitted that former-Italy national team manager Antonio Conte was correct to drop him from the country’s roster.

Speaking about not being called to the national team, he said “I think Conte was right because I was not playing well.” He, however, didn’t agree with Gian Piero Ventura’s decision. “Ventura? He did it for reasons I still don’t understand.”

Asked whether he’d rejoin the national team if asked, Balotelli responded, “I love the national team and I would run back but I do not know of any decisions yet.”

He then went on to describe the differences between Serie A and Ligue 1. “Serie A is more tactical, the French league is more physical.”

He also credited a stable personal life with more consistent performances. “I found serenity at home with a person. The secret is in my house. In the last few years I have had physical problems that I no longer have, and football performances are better. But my serenity is at home and not at work.”