Last month, Mario Balotelli was called up to the Italy squad for the first time since 2018 ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifiers in March.
The absence for the national team hurt the striker so much that he wasn’t able to watch their triumphant Euro 2020 run last summer.
Speaking to Le Iene, Balotelli said:
“I haven’t followed Italy much during the Euros, it hurts to watch their games without me.
“This team won the Euros without me, so they fully deserved it. Surely, had I been fit to play the Euros, we would have won more easily.
“I love Roberto Mancini too much. We talk sometimes, he keeps telling me to work hard trying to improve in some aspects.”