Without seeking attention, the Italian striker creates social project that aims to offer a chance of a profession to young people from poor communities of Salvador and Itabuna in Brazil.

The fame and money not only brought to life the controversial Mario Balotelli. but now Investor Angel of a social project that takes care of underprivileged children in the outskirts of Salvador, the Italian striker is now an owner of a solar company in Bahia.
The project is based on an opportunity to teach disadvantaged teens in areas of poverty in the state capital of Bahia and Itabuna. They are sent to electrician courses and solar pane fitters training, after which they are then hired by the Super Mario project.

He wants the boys to learn. That’s why he invested in this solar energy company. We’re taking these young people who cannot find jobs and giving them the opportunity to learn a new profession – explained the project coordinator of the “Mata Escura Rumo Novo” project, sponsored by Balotelli.

Conversation with Márcio Balotelli of Italy during training in Salvador (Photo: Carlos Ferrari)

The player, however, does not like to talk about it, according to a spokesperson for the Italian national team. The attacker is averse to interviews and only submits when he ends up being forced, as he happened to be named the best player of the match in the 2-1 victory over Mexico on Sunday, at Maracanã, the Confederations Cup debut.

Despite living in gossip columns and stories about life on and off the pitch, the number 9 shirt from Azzurra prefers to remain anonymous in helping children. His brother, Giovanni, is a great contributor towards the needs of the community.

Balotelli connection with Brazil is an old one. A Scout in his adolescence, the player visited the country in 2005 and first met the “Mata Escura Rumo Novo” project. From 2008, as he began to be more famous, he began to commit and collaborate more with the group.

According to the coordinator, the player not only injects money and collaborates in videos sharing his life experiences in time spent with the children, some of them abandoned.
The next counsel or advice to be given, incidentally, will be transmitted live, as the expectation is that he will pay a visit to the project during Italy’s passage through Salvador.