Controversial Italian striker Mario Balotelli has questioned Mancini’s decision to call up Mateo Retegui to the national team

The debut with a goal of Matthew Retegui in the Italian national team he satisfied Roberto Mancini and many fans of Bluesdespite losing 2-1 to England in Naples for qualification for the Eurocup Germany 2024. However, Not everyone welcomed the call for the Tiger striker. Among them, a striker with a good run in that country’s national team: Mario Balotelli.

The 32-year-old footballer who plays for Swiss club Sion did not criticize Retegui directly, but that he was dissatisfied with Mancini’s decision get hold of a player born in Argentina and never played in Serie A to the detriment of other strikers born or trained in Italy.

“The forwards are still there in Italy and they’re in good shape, believe me”Balotelli wrote in a story he posted on his Instagram account this Saturday. And, in a philosophical tone, he accused Mancini, who made him debut in Inter’s First Division and also managed him at Manchester City: “Regret is the feeling of those who periodically don’t learn the lesson and arrive when everything is over or has started or simply will never arrive”.

Thus, the footballer who played 36 matches and scored 14 goals with the Blues between 2010 and 2018 they echoed Mancini’s statements, which this week justified the call-up in the absences due to injury of some of their strikers (Ciro Immobile and Giacomo Raspadori) and the lack of activity in their premises by others (Gianluca Scamacca, Andrea Belotti).

“There are solutions in defense and in midfield. It’s in attack that we have problems, but not because there’s no talent. (The forwards) have to play and they don’t play,” the coach said on Monday. And he explained the reasons for choosing Retegui: I called him because we lack players who score goals. The boy has been playing in Argentina for two years and has the quality that we lack”.

The call from the striker born in San Fernando who will turn 24 on April 29 once again highlighted the change​ of the position of Mancini, who a few years ago ensured that only players born in Italy should have represented the Blues.

“The world has changed and all teams have nationalized players or players from other countries. We have had players who arrived in the national team and then others took them because they had double passports. We must do the same. There are no players in Italy, needless to deny it. We have very few forwards”, he justified on Monday.

Retegui, whose future after June seems to be in European football, will be able to make his second experience with the Italian team this Sundaywhen Mancini’s team will visit Malta at the Ta’Qali National Stadium for the second round of qualifying group C for the next European Championship.