Mario Balotelli Penalty Controversy Shows That Even When Liverpool Win, He Loses

At least he scored. Considering the backlash against Mario Balotelli after the Italian stole penalty-taking responsibilities off a team-mate, it should probably be a relief to all concerned that at least he avoided the additional embarrassment of missing the subsequent spot-kick.

With Liverpool toiling to a 0-0 draw with Besiktas in Thursday’s Europa League last-32 tie at Anfield, a result that would have made the Turkish side narrow favourites to progress ahead of the second leg, Jordan Ibe went down in the box in the final minutes to give the Reds an unexpected but gilt-edged chance to tip the tie firmly in their favour.

With usual taker Steven Gerrard injured, it seemed that his vice-captain, Jordan Henderson, would take on the significant responsibility—until Balotelli fended off his team-mate (and the fleeting interests of Daniel Sturridge) to assume control of the moment.

Considering his current status at Liverpool, it was both a bold and arrogant move, one many would say is typical of the inscrutable Italian. But in his professional career, Balotelli has scored 26 of 28 penalties, almost all of them with nonchalant ease, and in the process has developed a reputation for being one of the very best at them in the modern game.

And so it proved, Balotelli stutter-stepping his way to a potential pivotal goal in a competition Liverpool are desperate to avoid.

"It was a big goal," Henderson told ITV (via the Daily Star) after the game, diplomatically dealing with the on-pitch disputes that preceded it. "I wanted the penalty, Mario felt confident and he has taken big penalties before.

“Everyone wants to take them. I felt confident in Mario, he has taken big penalties before and he got the nod."

Jon Super/Associated Press

Manager Brendan Rodgers refused to discuss who the designated penalty taker was meant to be in his post-match press conference, instead focusing on the final scoreline—to an almost comical extent. But Gerrard himself was less diplomatic, effectively elevating the controversy with his own comments as a pundit at the game.

"Jordan should have taken the penalty. Rules are rules. It should have been Henderson. Mario has been a bit mischievous," Gerrard told ITV. "Credit to Mario, he's scored, but it's not nice to see when footballers are arguing.”

He added:

"

“I think Jordan has handled the situation very well. He can see that Mario really wanted to score. Jordan walked away at the right moment and handled his post-match interview very well.

"Jordan is the captain and Mario showed Jordan a bit of disrespect there, but he's scored a very important goal. I think six or seven players would have wanted to take that penalty so if they all say they are taking it, what happens then? Rules are in place for a reason."

"

The fact that Gerrard, usually so circumspect in his comments to the media, would be so frank about the situation suggests, if not a dislike for Balotelli, then certainly a lack of affection for his approach.

It also perhaps hints that he feels no special need to help Rodgers or the club in his final months on Merseyside; it is the manager whose situation has been made more awkward by his captain’s unequivocal stance, and Gerrard would surely return to Melwood with a rebuke waiting for him were it not for the fact he is perhaps the one player bigger (figuratively, not literally) than Rodgers.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Gerrard has long been a critic of Balotelli—in the striker’s early months at the club, Gerrard’s comments about “work rate” and “application” were hardly thinly-veiled—but that was seen as an attempt to push his new team-mate towards self-improvement, to make his feelings known by using the media as a teaching aid.

Gerrard’s latest comments to ITV suggest something else, however, that perhaps the captain has tired of the mercurial Italian already, even as he finally starts to make something of his Anfield career.

The ensuing comments from other ex-Liverpool players (Jamie Redknapp suggested to Sky Sports he would not be at the club next season) and, indeed, many commentators perhaps speaks more to Balotelli’s general perception and reputation than the actual facts of this case. "Disrespect"—a term that covers many attitude issues—might be a more general problem with Balotelli but, quite simply, in that moment he should surely have been the man given the ball all along.

It would be interesting to discover why, assuming it was the case, Henderson was indeed the designated penalty taker—was it simply because he was the captain? There would seem to be plenty of other superior candidates on the pitch at the time (elsewhere on Thursday, Young Boys’ Guillame Hoarau underlined the problem of having the wrong penalty taker in their 4-1 loss to Everton) for the responsibility, with Sturridge and, in particular, Balotelli chief among them.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Henderson might well succeed Gerrard as club captain next season, but that does not mean inheriting every one of the legend’s responsibilities. Gerrard may have grown to take on all penalties, free-kicks and big moments for his team during his years with the armband, but that is not the only way to lead a side.

Henderson should plot his own path and recognise where his qualities mesh or diverge from those of Gerrard. Penalty taking would appear to be one where they diverge.

Balotelli, after all, has scored penalties in Serie A, in the Premier League, in international games, in the biggest games imaginable. In contrast, Henderson has never taken a penalty in a senior game—Thursday would have been his first. The ex-Sunderland man might well have the right qualities for such a responsibility, but to test that out at such a crucial juncture would seem far more foolish than what Balotelli would soon do.

At the end of the day, of course, Balotelli scored: That alone goes a long way to justifying his actions. Remove all external factors from the process and you would always pick Balotelli to take a penalty for you over Henderson, so perhaps really it was sense that prevailed in the end.

Balotelli, undoubtedly, has plenty of things to work on and much to prove before he is accepted and embraced by a Liverpool dressing room that is perhaps not his biggest fan at this point. Hierarchy and a commitment to the needs of the many over those of the few is the cornerstone of all successful teams, and perhaps to Gerrard this was Balotelli's most obvious demonstration of a long-held belief that he has respect for neither.

In the cold light of day, however, perhaps it was one occasion where his actions actually benefited Liverpool. Balotelli undoubtedly does his fair share of things to attract criticism, but perhaps, beyond the bluster and the outrage, Thursday night was not one of them.

“Thank you Hendo for letting me take the penalty,” Balotelli said on Instagram. “Stop drama now. We won that’s what counts.

“We are a team and especially we are Liverpool. Come on guys.”