3 teams that should take a chance on Balotelli

Mario Balotelli was supposed to be challenging for the Ballon d'Or by now. When he wasn't fighting Balotelli in training, Roberto Mancini sang the player's praises.

"If we want to talk about Mario the football player, we can put him in the first five players in the world," Mancini said in 2011 after Manchester City's 6-1 demolition of Manchester United, in which Balotelli scored twice. "I hope for him, for football in general, we arrive at the day when Mario has changed completely his mind because after this he becomes one of the best three players in the world, like (Lionel) Messi, like Cristiano Ronaldo."

Five years later, and it's a story of wasted potential instead of glory.

In the time since, Balotelli has hopped from City to AC Milan, over to Liverpool and back to Milan. He gained headlines for the wrong reasons - red cards, clashes with TV pundits, posing with a gun - and his game suffered.

He's further away from controversy now, but the damage appears to be done. He failed to make an impact in his second spell with the Rossoneri last season, and upon his return to Anfield, manager Jurgen Klopp promptly told Balotelli to find another club.

Here are three clubs that should hand the 25-year-old a lifeline:

Sampdoria

Sampdoria's president, Massimo Ferrero, has said on more than one occasion that he would gladly accept Balotelli. The Genoa-based club, after all, has handled temperamental talent before. Antonio Cassano famously forced an exit from Sampdoria after leading the team to the Champions League.

Ferrero, who's a bit of a madman himself, understands what he would be getting.

"Balotelli is Balotelli's worst enemy," the film producer said. "Like Cassano is Cassano's worst enemy."

The move would be a step down for Balotelli, who has played for big clubs since he was a teenager with Inter. But Sampdoria isn't exactly a dumping ground or retirement home. It's a club with history, that won the Cup Winners' Cup and Scudetto, and challenged Barcelona in one of its heydays for the Champions League title. It's also a team with a fervent fan base, a place where Balotelli could be loved again.

AS Monaco

Monaco has found itself linked with Balotelli for the past two years, and there's a reason why: the two are a match. Balotelli would enjoy a luxurious life in Monaco at a club with some kind of Champions League ambitions without all the pressure and scrutiny that usually comes with such territory.

Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev has since curbed a rash of spending after taking the principality back to Ligue 1, but money isn't an issue here. Signing Balotelli would attract headlines - and at a cheap price.

It's uncertain how Radamel Falcao - who has laboured through his own wilderness over the past two years - will cope as Monaco's main attacking threat. Balotelli could carve his own spot at the Stade Louis II, and veterans like Ricardo Carvalho and Morgan De Sanctis could offer the player a support system.

Inter

Mancini was the one who handed Balotelli his first senior appearance, the one brought him to Manchester City, and the one who allowed him to leave for Milan. He has always been close, a sort of father figure for a young black player who often received racist abuse during his adolescent years in Italy.

"Mario used to go out with my sons, and the fact that they were more or less the same age was something that helped me build a relationship with him," Mancini said years ago in an interview with Corriere dell Sera. "As a person, I feel a strong affection towards him."

Mancini's now back at Inter, and he could use a striker to complement an equally tough talent to handle in Mauro Icardi. Mancini's been the only manager to get the best out of Balotelli, and perhaps they have to be reunited again.