- Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini confirmed Mario Balotelli is close to leaving the club, just months after joining as a free agent
- Balotelli has played six Serie A matches for Genoa, totaling 56 minutes without scoring
- The Italian forward joined shortly before Patrick Vieira became Genoa’s manager, reigniting their turbulent history
- Vieira previously criticized Balotelli’s mentality, stating their collaboration at Nice became “unmanageable”
- Balotelli had also claimed Vieira didn’t want him in his squad during his time at Nice
Key Takeaways:
Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini has confirmed that Mario Balotelli is on the verge of leaving the club, despite having joined just a few months ago as a free agent in late October.
🚨👋🏻 58 days after joining Genoa, Mario Balotelli’s already on the verge of leaving the club.
“Mario wants to play and here he’s not finding enough space, so we’re looking for a good solution for all parties”, Genoa director Ottolini confirms. pic.twitter.com/0wCiDlXux9
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 27, 2025
The 34-year-old striker has struggled to make an impact, appearing in six Serie A matches and totaling just 56 minutes on the pitch without finding the back of the net. Balotelli’s arrival at Genoa coincided with the appointment of Patrick Vieira as manager, reigniting a previously turbulent working relationship.
Balotelli and Vieira share a history dating back to their time as teammates at Inter and later as player and coach at Nice. Their collaboration at Nice, however, was fraught with difficulties. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Vieira criticized Balotelli’s approach, saying: “His mentality is not suited for a collective sport like football. At Nice, I wanted to build a philosophy based on compactness and work ethic. Working with a player like him was really complicated. The situation had become unmanageable for both parties, which is why we decided to part ways.”
Balotelli, for his part, had previously accused Vieira of not wanting him in his squad during his stint at Nice. This contentious relationship appears to have carried over to Genoa, where Balotelli’s lack of playing time and form has fueled speculation about his imminent departure.