MARIO BALOTELLI has answered to his critics after Italy’s World Cup exit, while Adriano Galliani also offered support.

Italy did not expect to get knocked out of the World Cup after just three goals for the second time in a row but reality was cruel for them. Mattia De Sciglio, Ignazio Abate and Mario Balotelli will all be returning to Italy soon after a bad campaign.

Balotelli, and Italy, showed plenty of promise against England with Mario scoring the winner but against Costa Rica and Uruguay it was just not it and the Azzurri lost both games. Italy, and especially Balotelli, are facing a lot of criticism today.

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When the entire squad was waiting for Cesare Prandelli in the locker room after he announced his resignation, Balotelli was on the bus alone. Daniele De Rossi said “Italy needs men, not Panini characters”, most likely referring to Balotelli and Gianluigi Buffon also had something to say about the behaviour of the Milan striker, who hit back today on social media.

Balo posted this on his Instagram account: “I am Mario Balotelli, I’m 23 years old and I did not choose to be Italian. I wanted it strongly because I was born in Italy and I’ve always lived in Italy. I was hoping for a lot from this World Cup and I am sad, angry and disappointed with myself. Yes, maybe I could have scored a goal against Costa Rica, you’re right, but then what? What is the problem after that? Maybe that’s what you all wanted to say? Don’t blame it all on me this time because Mario Balotelli have given everything for the national team and has done nothing wrong on a personal level.

“So go and look for another excuse because Mario Balotelli has his conscience in place and is ready to move forward stronger than before, with his head high. He is proud to have given everything for his country. Or maybe, as you say, I am not Italian. The Africans would never heap everything on one of their ‘brothers’. Never. In this sense us blacks, as you call us, are light-years ahead. Shame isn’t that you can miss a goal or run more or less. Shame is those things [I’ve mentioned].”

It’s clear that Balotelli is hurt by the heavy criticism and the Rossoneri Vice President Adriano Galliani offered his support while attending the League’s assembly: “I don’t understand why Balotelli is the only one who’s being criticized. He’s the only striker that scored a goal and created chances. It looks like Italy wasn’t eliminated from the World Cup, but only Balotelli. Evidently, he’s the only quality player of the national team because he’s the only one that is being discussed.

“Buffon and De Rossi? They are not Milan’s player and I don’t want to say what I think. I reaffirm that Mario is the only one who scored, the others were nowhere to be seen.” It remains to be seen if Balotelli will stay at Milan for next season.