“I should’ve been a model and not a football player” – Balotelli responds hilariously after Rio Ferdinand asks him about UCL final prediction
Mario Balotelli provided a hilarious response as Rio Ferdinand asked the Italian about his prediction for the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.
The two teams clash in a high-voltage showdown at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday, June 10. Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott was spotted alongside the former City and Liverpool striker.
Ferdinand asked the duo about their predictions for the game. Lescott predicted his former team to earn a 2-0 win. Balotelli, meanwhile, said:
"I am not thinking. I should have been a model and not a football player."
City are on the cusp of history as they aim to win their first UEFA Champions League trophy in history. They have already won the FA Cup and the Premier League this season. A win in the Champions League final will see Pep Guardiola's team lift the treble this season.
They have been on a rout en route to the final. The Cityzens have defeated RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid in the knockout stages this season.
Inter Milan, on the other hand, defeated AC Milan in the semi-final by an aggregate of 3-0. The Nerazzuri can win their first Champions League title since the 2009-10 season.
Diego Milito was the hero of the team on that occasion, scoring a brace, as Jose Mourinho's side defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Rio Ferdinand once claimed he hated Mario Balotelli
Fans might remember the time Rio Ferdinand and Mario Balotelli almost came to blows after Manchester City defeated Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final. The Italian striker riled up the United fans with his gestures in the 2010-11 season as City won 1-0.
The former Manchester United defender said last year that he hated the former City and Liverpool striker. He reasoned his claims, saying on the matter (via Pundit Arena):
“I hated him. He did a couple of things I didn’t like with the fans and I thought he was rude. But I chat with him now, lovely geezer. It’s mad because I’d see him after and it would only be respectful. In the games, in the end I respected it, he was an animal on the pitch."
There was no visible animosity, though, among the pair as they met outside the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. Considering Ferdinand retired from the game a long time, maybe his feelings toward Balotelli have changed.