OD Sport: Eleven in the history of football, excluding Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, is very, very rare. Fans were shocked recently when former Premier League star Mario Balotelli snubbed Crisitiano's ultimate XI in football. Former Manchester City player Mario Balotelli has always found his way through controversy. The Italian striker is considered one of the best strikers in the world at his peak. Now, Balotelli has once again attracted the attention of the football community, and he has chosen the player for his ultimate XI.
In a 14-year career, Balotelli scored 141 goals for Italy and a handful of clubs. The best spell for Balotelli is in Manchester City, where the Italian shines under the guidance of Roberto Mancini. Throughout his career, he has been in the midst of many controversies that seem to stir up another controversy.
Balotelli decided to snub Cristiano Ronaldo's Ultimate XI. The fact that the Italian did it with the Portuguese captain, who is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, infuriated many fans. Mario Balotelli's The Ultimate XI features many Italians, including Andrea Pirlo, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta and Antonio Cassano. Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi has found a spot in Balotelli's Ultimate XI, which hasn't gone well for many Cristiano Ronaldo fans either.
Mario Balotelli's Ultimate Eleven in Football:
GK - Julio Cesar;
DEF-Maikon, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Maxwell;
MID - Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, Yaya Toure, Antonio Cassano;
ATT - Lionel Messi, Ronaldo Nazario
After speaking with Thierry Henry on Puma Football's Instagram page, Balotelli went on to comment on his Ultimate XI. The Italian said he had a good team even excluding the likes of Tropieri and Cristiano Ronaldo. Balotelli says:
"Pirlo guarantees you can score ten goals a year, Yaya can do it. I think it's a good team, and while I exclude you (Henry), I exclude (Ronaldo).