Rising star Mario Balotelli joined the Nerazzurri in the summer of 2006. He played for Inter's Under-17 and Under-19 teams before joining the first team for the second half of the 2007/08 Scudetto-winning season.

A powerful and agile striker with great technical ability, Balotelli can play anywhere along the front line. An expert set-piece taker, he scored the winning penalty in the 2006/07 Campionato Primavera - Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti final against Sampdoria.

Nicknamed SuperMario, Balotelli made his first-team debut in a Serie A win over Cagliari in 2007/08, and shot to prominence after scoring twice against Reggina and Juventus in Coppa Italia ties. He helped his former Inter Primavera team-mates win the Carnival Cup in Viareggio before returning to first-team duty and playing a role in Inter's sprint to the 16th Italian league title.