Why the 2015-16 Season Will Prove to Be Mario Balotelli's Last with AC Milan

It’s never a promising sign when a footballer’s arrival at a club is subject to their adherence to a strict code of personal conduct. Yet these were the circumstances that dictated Mario Balotelli’s return to AC Milan last summer. Hence, it is rather unsurprising that the move does not appear to be working out.

Upon rejoining the Rossoneri, the mercurial striker was “forbidden … from revealing anything about the club on social media” and told to “curb his extravagant hairstyles and clothing,” per Corriere della Sera (h/t Football Italia).

Balotelli now has just over four months left on a loan deal that will see him remain at Milan until June, though with no obligation to buy, it appears likely that he will leave the club for a second time when the deal expires.

Initially, it seemed as if the 25-year-old was set to rejuvenate his career with the move.

His first appearance back at San Siro came against Inter last September where, after emerging from the substitute’s bench, he tormented the Nerazzurri defence, hitting the woodwork with a shot from distance and refusing to react to his opposition’s constant attempts at provocation.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Nine days later he made his first start of the season, away to Udinese, where he curled in a beautiful free-kick and picked up WhoScored.com’s man-of-the-match award for an excellent individual performance in a 3-2 win.

However, after the next match—in which he was one of Milan’s better players in a 1-0 defeat to Genoa—Balotelli picked up an injury that would ultimately rule him out for a prolonged period.

He was absent for almost four months with groin and hernia issues, in turn missing some of the key moments in the Rossoneri’s season. By the time he came back, the team was settled into a different formation while question marks over his fitness persisted.

Ahead of the Derby della Madonnina in January, Milan manager Sinisa Mihajlovic confirmed these doubts to Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia), saying: “Mario was never in the condition to play in a derby. He has to improve his fitness levels, as he’s been out for a long time.”

Concerns regarding Balotelli’s work ethic have been fairly continuous over the years. His swaggering style of play has seen him cast as the luxury maverick, a player who could win you a match but could also prove burdensome in times of adversity, while guaranteeing little by way of consistency.

However, the degree to which this persona is real or is projected onto the player by relentless media scrutiny remains unclear. Certainly, he is not the most effective player for a defensive, counter-attacking side—which is what Milan are best at presently—but he is a potential game-changer.

The intensity of the public’s gaze directed toward Balotelli cannot be easy for him to handle. Even when he is on the sidelines he is a target. Rossoneri legend Alessandro Costacurta slammed him rather unconstructively recently, telling Corriere TV (h/t Football Italia): “In my Milan, not only would he not play, he would never even get into the dressing room.”

Those harsh and unnecessary words were an example of one issue that dogs Balotelli on a frequent basis, namely that even when he is doing nothing wrong he is a subject for headlines.

Whenever he does do something wrong, he is open to more vehement criticism. After coming on for the final few minutes of Milan’s recent win over Genoa, he left his coach unimpressed with his efforts. After the game, Mihajlovic told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia):

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We should’ve scored a third goal and not risked at the end. It is also my fault, as those who don’t sacrifice themselves for the team to the 94th minute will no longer set foot on the field. It wasn’t just Balotelli, there were another two or three as well as him, they know who I’m talking about.

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Balotelli has since set foot on the field for Milan, however, coming on for the final minutes in Monday night’s draw with Napoli. Nonetheless, his future with the club appears decidedly uncertain.

Given he has spent much of this season out injured and consequently has made just two league starts, it’s hard to judge his performance. Perhaps if given more time on the pitch he could make more of a difference, something indicated by Squawka.com’s statistics, which list him as one of Milan’s most productive players per 90 minutes.

Unfortunately, this was a season in which Balotelli had to prove himself and, thus far, he has been unable to do so. This has been mainly down to bad luck, but that excuse won’t be enough to convince Milan to shell out on extending his stay. As such, this season could be his last with the club.