It’s 2009 and Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan are playing against Rubin Kazan in a crucial Champions League fixture in western Russia.
Mario Balotelli picks up a yellow card inside 20 minutes and, with no backup on his bench, Mourinho has some words for the striker at half time.
“I go to the dressing room,” He says. “I spend 14 minutes of the 15 only for Mario.”
Mourinho added: “Mario, I cannot change you. I cannot make a change, I don't have a striker on the bench. Don’t touch anybody.
“Play only with the ball. When we lose the ball, there is no reaction. If someone provokes you, no reaction. If the referee makes a mistake, no reaction. Mario, please.”
Unbeknownst to Mourinho at the time, Balotelli wouldn’t listen and eventually ended up getting another booking on the hour and was subsequently sent off.
It was a time when the club needed him the most and, even with Samuel Eto’o on the pitch alongside, Inter failed to take more than a point back to the San Siro as the scoreline remained 1-1.
Mourinho laughs nowadays when looking back, though at the time he was bursting with rage - but who was surprised? It was Balotelli, after all.
In 2010, he joined Manchester City for a fee of around £24m and was reunited with Roberto Mancini, who had coached him in his early days at Inter.
Not only was that relationship reinvigorated momentarily, but Balotelli was paramount to City’s early success following the takeover of Sheikh Mansour in 2008.
The Italy international was pivotal in their FA Cup triumph in his first season at the club and, in the campaign after, he produced one of the most memorable moments in football history by assisting Sergio Aguero’s iconic last-minute goal that secured City the 2011-12 Premier League title.
Balotelli's fall... and rise again
The year that followed was one which proved detrimental to Balotelli’s career, with him scoring just one goal in 14 appearances across all competitions before being sold to AC Milan in January 2013.
His constant disciplinary issues: training ground altercations, his on-field behaviour and general decisions away from the club, made him a temperamental character and one who, having yearned from the prospering times of his career, really didn’t entertain the liking of many.
The forward once threw darts at a youth team player, set fireworks off at his own house and was found carrying a significant sum of cash after a car accident where he was asked for the reason why. He replied, “Because I am rich.”
Though his discipline issues are far less important, Marcus Rashford has had a torrid few months at Manchester United and some which emulate Balotelli’s last months in east Manchester in terms of performance.
He has played 486 times for United and has been at the club since the age of seven where he worked his way up to making his senior debut on February 25, 2016.
There’s mixed emotions among United fans regarding whether the 27-year-old should leave or not, and the general consensus is that he is more out than in following his interview with former Sunday Times journalist Henry Winter.
In December, Rashford said: “For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.”
Disregarding what would soon be dissected, Rashford subconsciously added that “when” he leaves United, rather than ‘if’, which also sparked views on where his head was really at.
Like Balotelli though, this doesn’t mean Rashford’s career is done despite his lack of minutes he’s playing at the moment.
In fact, he’s still only 27 and potentially one transfer away from revitalising his entire profile as the epitome for young footballers.
The technical comparison between Rashford and Balotelli is far from similar but, based on the latter’s career path, Rashford’s is somewhat predictable providing he pens a deal elsewhere.
When Balotelli left the Etihad for AC Milan, he recorded 12 goals in his last 13 games of the 2012-13 season and ended the campaign on 18 in total.
Not only this, just a few years later from 2016-2019 while at Nice in Ligue 1, Balotelli scored 43 goals in 76 appearances which, for someone who was frowned upon just years prior, is an impressive example of a comeback which Rashford should try to emulate.
There’s no doubt the England international has been under fire following some of his decisions at awkward times, such as the choice to attend an NBA game during the international break and to go out partying just hours after losing against rivals City.
But a resurgence in form is more than likely for him if he makes the right decision.
Italian football is the most likely outcome for Rashford despite interest from Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona - the latter having far too much financial conflict at current for any chance of Rashford and his £325,000-per-week wage demands.
Though AC Milan have shown the most interest, their need for a left-sided attacker isn’t adequate due to Rafael Leao being in that position already. The recent arrival of Kyle Walker could steer Rashford to the Serie A side.
League leaders Napoli have also shown brief interest and are undergoing a search for a left-sided attacker having just sold Kvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for an undisclosed fee, which was reported to be £59m.
