Mario Balotelli has followed in the footsteps of teammate and strike partner Carlos Tevez by announcing that he does not like Manchester, and is feeling homesick whilst there. Tevez has openly sought after a way out of Manchester since handing in a transfer request in January, and has stressed his desire to see more of his children and family who have been unable to settle in Manchester. At just 20, Balotelli does not have any children, nor is he married, but insists that he is missing the chance to be at home with family and friends. Along with these comments, Balotelli discussed his desire to one day play for Milan, raising questions as to whether or not the forward is in fact ‘homesick’, or just looking for way out of a city that is not to his “tastes”.
These questions have also been raised over Carlos Tevez, with many asking why such complaints were not made during his time at either West Ham or Manchester United. Are we to believe his family were settled in London? Or that such ‘sickness’ didn’t really kick in until his move across Manchester? It is only since his proposed move to Corinthians fell through last month that City fans could be certain their star man was not moving for his football, but solely for his family. Both Inter Milan and Real Madrid are reportedly interested in acquiring the Argentinean, and were Tevez to join another European club, then the credibility of his alleged ‘homesickness’ is certain to be brought into question once more.
It is often thought that cries of feeling ‘homesick’ tend to come about when a player is struggling to settle or find the kind of form that is expected of them. Balotelli’s first season in English football was far from prolific, and one could not be blamed for thinking the Italian is simply trying to excuse this fact more than anything. There are on the other hand, players who have moved abroad and had successful spells with their new clubs, yet seek a return to their homeland due to a failure to settle in. Both Ian Rush and Jimmy Greaves spent a season in Italy, Rush with Juventus, Greaves at Milan, and despite continuing to score goals and play well for their clubs, both players returned to English football the following year.
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Spanish winger Jesus Navas has played at Sevilla his entire career, despite heavy interest from some of Europe’s top clubs. In 2006, a proposed move to Chelsea broke down after Navas claimed his homesickness would get the better of him. The severity of his condition has since come to light, with the midfielder reported to suffer from anxiety attacks and seizures when away from Seville for too long. A move away from Sevilla looks unlikely then, but should he ever do so and complain of ‘homesickness’, it seems fair to assume such claims would be genuine.
After being omitted from the England squad that traveled to South Africa last year, Leighton Baines insisted this was not due to claims of homesickness. The defender explained that whilst he was missing his family, “it’s all part and parcel of being a footballer.” When we consider the number of footballers that play away from their homeland, this seems to be a fair assessment. Whilst players are bound to struggle to settle in to different cultures, cities, and teams, in making the decision to move, both Tevez and Balotelli must have considered the possibility of missing home, but felt the progression of their career was more important.
Whilst it seems Tevez has substantial grounds for wanting to leave Manchester City, Balotelli’s claims of ‘homesickness’ perhaps deserve further scrutiny. In his first season at Chelsea, Drogba complained that he too was suffering being away from Marseille. In the years that have followed, the Ivorian has become a prolific goal scorer at Stamford Bridge and any signs of being homesick seem to have gradually disappeared.
It seems somewhat unfair to try and make an overall assessment as to whether or not claims of being ‘homesick’ are credible or not. However, there are certain factors that should perhaps be taken into consideration, when trying to assess the validity of such claims. For instance, if a player is complaining of homesickness whilst they are playing well then this seems to provide good reason to believe their claims to be genuine. If, however, the player is struggling with form or not living up to their expectations, questions over the integrity of their complaints should certainly be raised. Of course, where a player moves on to is also a strong indicator as to how ‘homesick’ they in fact were – for instance, should Tevez move to Spain or Italy, then the credibility of his ‘homesickness’ will be significantly low.
One thing is certain: Mancini faces the unenviable task of distinguishing between those claims of homesickness that are in fact genuine, and those with an ulterior motive. Let’s hope for his sake that Aguero can settle in a little easier in Manchester.