Mario Balotelli slams ‘phones & PlayStations’ for ‘ruining’ football and reveals advice he’d tell his 16-year-old self

MARIO Balotelli has slammed the impact of mobile phones and video games on football. The 36-year-old explained that the current crop of young stars coming through have experienced a vastly different upbringing to himself. Mario Balotelli looks on before a Serie A match between Genoa and Napoli Credit: Getty Balotelli warms up for Genoa before a Serie A match against Parma Credit: Getty Balotelli has noted that he no longer sees young children playing football in the streets in Italy, like when he was a youngster. He has suggested that modern mobile phone and video game culture is to blame for this shift in entertainment. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! The Italian star told The Guardian that the shift now sees young footballers playing less football than previous generations. Balotelli said: “Computers, phones, and PlayStations have ruined a lot. “Above all, the parents’ mentality has changed. A seven‑year-old kid today might play football for two hours every three days. “We had the same structured training sessions, plus three hours of playing at the park every day, which felt like fun but was actually extra training. “I truly believe talents were born on the street and in the parks.” He explained that playing against older children helped to raise his game in a way that is less common in the modern age. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS The striker claimed that “it’s very different” because he would learn skills on the streets, rather than just watching videos online. This upbringing seemed to serve Balotelli well as he went on to score 14 goals in 36 caps for Italy between 2010 and 2018. Even 20 years after coming through at Lumezzane, Balotelli is continuing to ply his trade professionally for Al-Ittifaq in the UAE First Division. But it has not been a straight-forward career for the controversial star. Former Scotland midfielder Scott Brown, 41, even recalled being threatened on the pitch by the striker during a game. Balotelli’s wild side even threatened to re-emerge after falling out of favour at Genoa last year. But the Italian has explained that there are lessons he wished he could tell his 16-year-old self. Balotelli continued: “I’d tell him not to make certain choices and to listen to certain people at specific times.” Al-Ittifaq sit 11th in the UAE First Division after a loss against Al Bataeh and a draw versus Al Orooba. They will next face the 15th-ranked Dubai City on Saturday, September 5. Comment now