October 23, 2011. Old Trafford. The Manchester Derby.
Most people remember the scoreline—6-1 to Manchester City. It was a demolition. But the image that lived forever wasn't a goal celebration or a trophy lift. It was Mario Balotelli. After slotting a cool finish past David de Gea, he didn't scream. He didn't run to the corner flag. He simply pulled his jersey over his head to reveal a blue base layer with three words printed in a clunky, heat-pressed font: Why Always Me?
It was perfect. It was arrogant. Honestly, it was a cry for help and a middle finger all wrapped into one.
At that moment, Balotelli was the most talked-about athlete on the planet. Not just for his talent, which was massive, but for the absolute chaos that seemed to follow him like a hungry shadow. The "Why Always Me" shirt wasn't just a meme before memes were a thing; it was a response to a week of headlines that would have broken a less eccentric player.
The Firework Incident and the Pressure Cooker
The timing of the shirt wasn't random. Just 36 hours before kickoff, emergency services were called to Balotelli's house in Mottram St Andrew. Why? Because a firework had been let off in his bathroom.
The house was on fire. The tabloids went nuclear.
📖 Related: Vince Carter Meme I Got One More: The Story Behind the Internet's Favorite Comeback
The media narrative was that Mario was a "madman," a "child," a "liability." People were convinced he was a danger to himself and his team. So, when he scored the opening goal in the biggest game of the season, he had his answer ready. He wanted to know why the spotlight never shifted. Why, when other players did stupid things, was his laundry aired so publicly?
Les Chapman, the legendary Manchester City kit man, is the guy who actually printed the shirt. He’s gone on record saying Mario approached him in the dressing room a few days prior. Mario originally had some other ideas for the text—stuff that probably would have gotten him banned or fined—but "Chappy" suggested something more cryptic. They settled on those three words.
Beyond the Meme: The Burden of Super Mario
The thing about Balotelli is that he wasn't just a "wild child." He was a young Black man in Italy and England dealing with immense talent and even more immense scrutiny.
When he asked "Why Always Me?", he was pointing at the paparazzi who followed him to gas stations. He was pointing at the fans who made monkey noises at him in Serie A. He was pointing at the managers, like Jose Mourinho, who called him "unmanageable."
Mourinho once told a story about a Champions League game in Kazan. Mario got a yellow card in the first half. Mourinho spent 14 minutes of the 15-minute halftime break telling Mario not to react, not to touch anyone, to just play. In the 46th minute, Mario got a red card. It’s a funny story, sure, but it fed into this idea that he was a lost cause.
👉 See also: Finding the Best Texas Longhorns iPhone Wallpaper Without the Low-Res Junk
But look at the stats. During that 2011-12 season, he was vital. He scored 13 goals in 23 league appearances. He provided the only assist of his entire Manchester City career to Sergio Aguero for that goal against QPR to win the title.
He was a winner. He just happened to be a winner who also drove his car into a women’s prison because he was curious about what it looked like inside.
Why the Message Still Resonates in 2026
We’re still talking about this shirt over a decade later because it represents the tension between being an entertainer and being a human.
Modern football is sanitized. Players are PR-trained to say "the most important thing is the three points" and "we go again." Balotelli was the opposite of sanitized. He was raw. He was unpredictable. He was a reminder that these athletes are often just kids with millions of dollars and no blueprint for how to handle the world.
When you look back at the "Why Always Me" moment, you see a player at his absolute peak. He was 21 years old. He had the world at his feet. But the shirt also signaled the beginning of the end of his top-tier dominance. The distractions eventually outweighed the production.
✨ Don't miss: Why Isn't Mbappe Playing Today: The Real Madrid Crisis Explained
The irony? By wearing the shirt, he ensured it would always be him. He turned himself into a brand.
What You Should Take Away From the Legend of Mario
If you’re looking for a lesson in the Balotelli saga, it’s not just about fireworks or fancy cars. It’s about the cost of fame and the necessity of focus.
- Self-Correction is Key: Mario had all the tools to be a multi-time Ballon d'Or winner. Talent gets you through the door, but temperament keeps you in the room. If you find yourself asking "Why always me?", sometimes it's worth checking if you're the one holding the matches.
- Narrative Control: Balotelli tried to take control of his story with a t-shirt. It worked for a day, but the media eventually took it back. In any career, the best way to silence critics isn't a clever slogan; it's consistent, undeniable performance.
- Empathy for the Eccentric: We often tear down athletes who don't fit the "professional" mold. Looking back, Balotelli was often lonely and misunderstood. Understanding the person behind the headline usually reveals a much more complex story than the tabloid front page suggests.
To truly understand the legacy of that Manchester Derby, don't just watch the highlights of the goals. Watch the way Mario walks away after showing the shirt. He doesn't smile. He looks defiant. He was a man who knew he was being watched and decided to give the audience exactly what they wanted, while simultaneously asking them to leave him alone. It remains the most iconic celebration in Premier League history because it was the most honest.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
Go back and watch the full 90 minutes of that 2011 Manchester Derby. Don't just watch the goals. Observe Balotelli's movement off the ball and his discipline under Roberto Mancini. You'll see a player who, for a brief window, was the most dangerous striker in Europe. Then, compare his career trajectory to contemporaries like Sergio Aguero or Robert Lewandowski. It serves as the ultimate case study in how psychological makeup is just as important as physical attributes in elite sports.