Mario Balotelli (Part 2)

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1 Apr 2024

Mario Balotelli (Part 2)

Mario Balotelli's move to AC Milan in January 2013 marked a significant chapter in his career. The announcement of his signing was met with great excitement among the club's fans and officials. Manchester City's then-manager Roberto Mancini expressed his support for Balotelli's transfer, believing it would benefit the player's development.
Balotelli made an immediate impact upon his debut for Milan on 3 February 2013, scoring two goals, including a last-minute penalty, to secure a 2–1 victory over Udinese. He continued his scoring streak in the following matches, netting goals against Parma, Genoa, and Palermo. His impressive performances saw him equal Oliver Bierhoff's record of four goals in his first three matches for Milan.

Balotelli's scoring prowess persisted as he scored in consecutive matches against Catania, Torino, and Pescara. However, his time at Milan was not without controversy. In May 2013, he was subjected to racist chants by some Roma fans during a match, leading to a temporary suspension of the game.
Despite the challenges, Balotelli concluded his first season with Milan on a high note. He scored his 12th goal in 13 matches for the club on the final day of the season, helping Milan secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League for the following campaign. His impressive goal-scoring record of 12 goals in 13 appearances played a crucial role in Milan's third-place finish in Serie A.

Mario Balotelli's move to Liverpool in August 2014 was met with high expectations as he was brought in to replace the departing Luis Suárez. He made his debut for Liverpool in a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on 31 August 2014, which Liverpool won 3–0. Balotelli scored his first goal for Liverpool on 16 September in a UEFA Champions League match against Ludogorets Razgrad, helping Liverpool secure a 2–1 victory at Anfield.
However, Balotelli's time at Liverpool was marred by inconsistency and off-field controversies. In a Champions League match against Real Madrid on 22 October 2014, he was criticized by manager Brendan Rodgers for swapping shirts with opponent Pepe at halftime, a gesture not condoned by the club.

In December 2014, Balotelli was suspended for one match and fined £25,000 for posting an image on social media that appeared to contain antisemitic and racist references, further adding to his disciplinary issues.
Despite scoring his first Premier League goal for Liverpool in February 2015 against Tottenham Hotspur, Balotelli struggled to make a significant impact for the club. He scored only four goals in 28 appearances across all competitions during the 2014–2015 season. His underwhelming performances led many to consider him one of the worst signings of the season.

After his loan spell with AC Milan ended, Mario Balotelli returned to Liverpool on 27 August 2015 for the upcoming season. He scored his first goal after returning to Milan on 22 September 2015, opening the scoring in a 3–2 away win against Udinese with a free kick from 25 yards out. However, Balotelli suffered a groin injury a week later in a 1–0 defeat to Genoa on 27 September, requiring surgery and ruling him out for three months.
Balotelli made his return to action on 17 January 2016 as a substitute in a 2–0 home win over Fiorentina. Nine days later, he scored the only goal from the penalty spot during the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Alessandria, helping Milan reach the final of the tournament.

However, Balotelli's performances were not consistent, and he faced criticism for his lack of impact on the pitch. He finished the season with just one goal in 20 league appearances as Milan finished in seventh place, failing to qualify for European competitions.
In the middle of 2016, Balotelli returned to Liverpool, but he had no future under the club's new manager, Jürgen Klopp. Klopp chose not to include Balotelli in Liverpool's pre-season tour to the United States or any of the club's other friendlies, signaling the end of Balotelli's time at Liverpool.

Mario Balotelli joined Nice of the French Ligue 1 on a free transfer, signing a one-year deal. He made a strong start to his time at Nice, scoring two goals on his debut against Marseille, including a header and a penalty. In his second Ligue 1 appearance, Balotelli scored another double as Nice defeated Monaco 4–0, becoming the first player in the last 25 years to score four goals in his first two Ligue 1 matches.
Balotelli continued his impressive form, scoring his fifth goal in just four competitive matches for Nice in a UEFA Europa League match against Krasnodar. He then scored the winning goal against Lorient in a Ligue 1 match, but was controversially sent off in stoppage time for an altercation with an opponent. However, his red card was rescinded after the referee admitted his mistake in showing Balotelli the second yellow card.

Balotelli claimed on Instagram that he was subjected to racist abuse by fans of the Corsican club Bastia during a match. His teammate Alassane Pléa confirmed hearing monkey noises directed at Balotelli. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) launched an investigation into the allegations. Balotelli received his first official red card in a Nice shirt on 21 December 2016, during a Ligue 1 match against Bordeaux, for kicking an opponent.
Despite facing some disciplinary issues, Balotelli continued to perform well on the pitch. He reached ten Ligue 1 goals for the season on 10 March 2017, scoring in a 2–2 draw with Caen. However, he also received another red card in his 14th Ligue 1 appearance for insulting the referee in English during a match against Lorient. Balotelli was given a two-match ban by the Ligue 1's disciplinary committee, with the second match being a suspended ban that would be triggered in the event of any further misconduct. Additionally, Bastia was sanctioned by the Ligue 1's disciplinary committee for the racist abuse directed at Balotelli, resulting in the closure of part of their stadium for three matches and a suspended one-point deduction.

Mario Balotelli extended his contract with Nice, signing a one-year extension. He continued to impress during the season, scoring in Nice's UEFA Champions League qualifying round first leg against Ajax on 26 July, contributing to their 1–1 draw.
Balotelli enjoyed a prolific season, scoring a career-high 18 goals in the league and adding 8 more goals across all other competitions. His remarkable form caught the attention of the Italy national team selectors, leading to his recall to the national team for the first time since the 2014 FIFA World Cup, marking a significant comeback to international football after four years.

Mario Balotelli signed a third consecutive one-year contract with Nice, after a potential move to rivals Marseille fell through earlier in the summer.
Despite committing to Nice for another season, Balotelli faced challenges as he appeared late and out of shape for pre-season training. Additionally, he was unavailable for the first three league matches due to a court suspension. Balotelli's struggling form at the beginning of the season, coupled with tensions with the new coach Patrick Vieira, led to him being excluded from the first-team squad after making only 10 league appearances.
Vieira later confirmed that Balotelli would not be extending his contract with Nice and hinted that he would likely leave during the January transfer window.