The Story Behind Mario Balotelli’s ‘Why Always Me’ Shirt

Highlights

• Balotelli’s ‘Why always me?’ celebration after scoring against United became an iconic moment in Premier League history.
• Former Man City kitman revealed Balotelli proposed several ideas before landing on the infamous slogan.
• Despite his notable antics and controversies, Balotelli’s skills helped City achieve their title triumph in 2011-2012.

To say Mario Balotelli is an eccentric figure would be the understatement of the century. At his best, the Italian could bully defenders into submission and score goals of all kinds at will. At his worst, he was trying to score backheels from close range and fighting with his manager.

No matter what, you could always count on the striker for some fireworks – sometimes quite literally. For all his madness, there is one moment that is the most defining of his career. It can be summed up by three simple words that happened to appear in the Manchester derby: ‘Why always me?’

Here at GIVEMESPORT, we are going to take a deep dive into how this celebration came about and why it became such an iconic moment in Premier League history.

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City

The Birth of The ‘Noisy Neighbours’

In 2011, Balotelli and Manchester City visited Old Trafford with the intent of proving to their neighbours that they were genuine title contenders for the first time since the 1950s. They made that exact statement by thrashing the defending champions 6-1 in one of the most shocking results in Premier League history.

It was the then-21-year-old who got his team off to the perfect start, finding the bottom corner with a fine first-time finish. The celebration that ensued, which was ironically Eric Cantona-esque, has since gone down in folklore.

Balotelli lifted up his shirt to reveal a compression shirt that he was wearing underneath which had a question written on it. In front of a sold-out Theatre of Dreams and millions watching around the world, the Italian asked: ‘Why always me?’

Things went from bad to worse for the home side, as goals Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, David Silva and a second from Balotelli saw Sir Alex Ferguson’s men condemned to their biggest defeat at home in the Premier League.

This was the biggest statement that Roberto Mancini’s side could make to prove they were no longer in United’s shadow. Instead, they had turned into a serious threat, which would eventually lead to them becoming champions that very season.

The result made headlines, but it was the mercurial Balotelli who has captured the imaginations of many. The fact it happened in such a game added to the celebration’s notoriety, much like Wayne Rooney’s overhead kick had done the season before. So, how did it all come about?

How the ‘Why always me?’ Slogan Came About

Former Manchester City Kitman Reveals All

Speaking on Manchester City’s website, former kit man Les Chapman told how he was approached by Balotelli himself about getting something printed on the shirt ahead of the game. Chapman told how the one-of-a-kind forward was around the club, stating:

“Mario was a pretty unique guy. Contrary to popular belief, he was a bright guy who did some bizarre things. Very unpredictable.

“He was very much an individual. Sometimes that was to the detriment of the team, but there was no doubt in his ability.”

Chapman explained how it was common for players to wear shirts underneath their kits when the weather was cold, and he was often asked to print things on the shirts in case the players scored. This was often related to someone’s birthday or other sentimental messages. However, Balotelli had something a bit more controversial in mind. He came to Chapman ahead of the Manchester derby and proposed a number of different ideas for what could be printed on his shirt. The kit man recalls that:

“Mario pulled me to one side in the morning and told me he wanted me to print something up on his compression shirt. for the game. I said ‘you can’t print anything that’s controversial. You can’t print anything that’s going to be offensive to United fans or anybody.

“He came out with one or two things and I said, ‘no Mario I don’t think that’s appropriate.’ Then it was him actually, who just came out with it, out of the blue. He just said what about: ‘Why always me?’

“As soon as he said it, I knew that was the one.”

It is interesting to learn that the now infamous saying wasn’t the striker’s first choice. It would’ve been even more intriguing to find out what the other options could’ve been, even if they would’ve landed him in some hot water.

Balotelli Set off Fireworks Before the Derby

The striker let off the explosives in his own house

One of the main reasons why it was ‘always’ Balotelli was because he always found extraordinary ways to make the headlines. None more so than when he set his own house on fire “on the eve of the Manchester derby”.

Reports suggest that the Italian, along with some of his friends, attempted to let off fireworks from his bathroom window. This led to some of his towels being set alight and the blaze then spreading quickly across the property. The fire brigade arrived at the scene at 1am, with Balotelli reporting to training that very morning.

The incident did not deter manager Mancini from starting his exuberant attacker though, as he was a pivotal part of their tactics to get around United’s defence. That risk certainly paid off as it took Balotelli just 22 minutes to open the scoring against Man United.

The Aftermath of ‘Why Always Me?’

The Celebration has Become Iconic

The immediate aftermath of the celebration was that Balotelli was yellow-carded, despite not actually taking his shirt off. This was something that Chapman had warned the striker of before the game. Naturally, Balotelli chose to ignore the advice.

“He lifted his shirt above his head, which in the eyes of the referee, is not correct.

“If he’d just lifted it up to his chin he would be fine. I did tell Mario before the game just to lift it chin height. Of course, Mario being Mario [he didn’t listen].”

Not only was the statement perfect for the player but it was timed perfectly with City on the charge to step out of their rival’s shadows. Shockwaves were sent around the world thanks to the result, with the opening goal becoming the go-to image of the game.

The phrase also became synonymous with the player, with fans often referring to it each time the maverick does something controversial.

City would go on to become Premier League champions that season, which would be the only one Balotelli picked up during his time in England. Six months after the title win, ‘Super Mario’ returned to Italy to join AC Milan. It would be the beginning of a whirlwind remainder of his career, as he would represent eight more teams between 2014-2024.

His struggles go back to how Chapman described the Italian. Despite how good Balotelli could be, his character and reputation preceded him. More importantly, the former Golden Boy’s antics have been detrimental to his teams, making him a liability.