"We failed him": Yaya Toure opens up about Balotelli's time at Man City

Mario Balotelli, who joined Manchester City in 2010 from Inter Milan, was a pivotal figure in the team's FA Cup and Premier League successes. However, his time at the club was marred by off-field drama, with his behaviour often creating challenges for both teammates and coaches.

In an appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Toure spoke candidly about his impact, saying: "When Balotelli arrived, it was a big mess. A lot of problems. You're always going to have it with him. At some point, to be honest, he would be that guy who would go off... He was always innocent, but when things went wrong, he was always involved."

Despite his difficult moments, Toure defended Balotelli and cleared up misconceptions about their relationship. There had been reports of a bust-up between the two during a 3-3 draw against Sunderland in 2012, but Toure was quick to deny the claims, stating: "To say we had a fight is very sad. It upset me, and I feel sorry for Mario."

Toure acknowledged that both the team and the coaching staff struggled to get the best out of Balotelli, admitting that they could have done more to support him. "Even we players, we failed him at some point," he said. "We should have looked after him more. But I know that when Mario is coming to play, you have to make him hungry or nervous. When he's too relaxed, he's not going to do anything."

Reflecting on the striker's abilities, Toure praised his extraordinary talent. "He had that crazy shot, his power and his feet. He was quite fast and a good dribbler," Toure noted, adding that his talent often went unnoticed by the wider public.

During his time at Manchester City, Balotelli scored 30 goals and contributed six assists in 80 appearances before moving to AC Milan in 2013. Although his time at City was filled with highs and lows, Toure feels that with the right support, Balotelli could have achieved even greater success.