"Games and smartphones have ruined football," notorious troublemaker Mario Balotelli offers unsolicited advice with a twisted logic: "Kids these days don't play football."

*This content was translated by AI.

'Troublemaker' Mario Balotelli (36, Al-Ettifaq) criticized the negative impact of video games and smartphone culture on youth football.

The UK's 'The Sun' reported on the 30th (local time), citing an interview Balotelli gave to The Guardian: "Balotelli pointed out the growth environment of modern football prospects, arguing that smartphones and PlayStation are ruining football."

Balotelli identified smartphones and video games as the cause for the disappearance of children playing football in Italian streets. He stated, "Children today aged 7 play football only about two hours every three days. Parents' mindsets have also changed," adding, "Computers, smartphones, and game consoles have ruined everything."

He then recalled his own childhood: "After finishing systematic training, we kicked the ball for an additional three hours every day in the park. It was play, but effectively extra training." He emphasized that true talent is born not from online videos, but on streets and in parks, adding that playing football while clashing with older neighborhood boys greatly helped improve his skills.

Balotelli represented Italy as a national team player from 2010 to 2018, scoring 14 goals in 36 matches. He made his professional debut at age 15 with Lumezzane, an Italian lower-league club, showcasing his potential. Twenty years after starting his career at Lumezzane, he is currently continuing his playing career with Al-Ettifaq in the UAE's top division.

However, Balotelli's playing career, often labeled as that of a 'troublemaker,' was not always smooth. Former Scottish midfielder Scott Brown (41) once revealed an incident where he felt threatened by Balotelli during a match. During a UEFA Champions League (UCL) match between Celtic FC and AC Milan, when Brown attempted a tackle, Balotelli allegedly issued a chilling warning: "You won't leave Italy alive unless you get into a body bag." Even Brown, who usually enjoyed psychological battles, admitted he was genuinely frightened at the time. Last year, when he was pushed out of the starting lineup at Genoa, his rough temperament nearly resurfaced again.

Having experienced such a turbulent career, Balotelli advised his 16-year-old self to "avoid making wrong choices and listen carefully to advice from those around you during certain periods."

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*This content was translated by AI.