Mario Balotelli has slammed Genoa and called Patrick Vieira an attention seeker following the Italian’s short spell with the Serie A side last season.
Does Mario Balotelli Like Patrick Vieira?
Mario Balotelli signed for Genoa in October 2024 as a free agent after Alberto Gilardino personally selected the Italian, with the hopes of improving Genoa’s fate last season.
However, after a run of poor form, Gilardino was made surplus to requirements and Patrick Vieira took the reins in November – signing a deal until 2027.
The former Manchester City star did not make a single Serie A appearance from December 12th onward and Genoa decided to not renew his deal in Italy.
Overall, Balotelli made just six appearances for the Italian side and accumulated 56 minutes in the process, contributing to zero goals and picking up two yellow cards.
Genoa went on to finish 13th in the league and are one of the favorites to face relegation next season on Serie A betting sites and Balotelli had some choice words for Vieira in a recent podcast.
Balotelli said (Via Centrocampo podcast): “When he arrived, he called and asked how I was, about the team, it seemed like he had good intentions, but then he put me on for only a few minutes the first couple of games.
“I played for 4 minutes against Napoli and nearly scored a goal. It felt like Vieira was almost afraid of me, that if I scored a goal, he’d have to play me. He wanted to be the saviour of Genoa, it irked him that the journalists would always ask about me.
“He couldn’t accept this, I would give him advice, and he could’ve listened instead of telling me to get lost. It’s just the desire to be a protagonist in my view, he wants to be at the centre of attention. I can see no other reason. Or I just get on his nerves.
The two are former teammates, making 44 appearances together during their time at Manchester City and Inter Milan, making this recent revelation rather confusing.
What Did Mario Balotelli Say About Genoa?
As previously mentioned, Genoa signed Balotelli as a free agent and this was under the recommendation of Gilardino who parted ways with the club shortly after.
At 34-years-old, the Italian is coming towards the end of his days as a professional soccer player and Genoa would have been aware of this hence the short deal.
The Serie A side may have added Balotelli to their roster for his experience, despite a notoriously controversial reputation, as the Italian has made 501 appearances and scored 201 goals throughout his career.
Patrick Vieira clearly did not have Balotelli in his plans for next season, as the Arsenal legend is currently battling another former Gunners star in Cesc Fabregas for a trio of Mikel Arteta’s stars.
The French manager has clearly made his plans for next season clear alongside the Genoa board, however, Balotelli beleives the Serie A side did not go about their business in the correct manner.
“The club didn’t have the balls to say anything. I always looked for a real reason behind this, I wrote him a long message one day, I’ll publish it eventually. He never gave me an answer, nor even looked me in the eye, so I found myself forced to train alone.
“If I train with the squad, I might raise the level, I don’t think the situation is so extreme that I don’t run enough for his style of football. I had thought of leaving in December, but I wanted to see this through.
“I didn’t think the people I dealt with at Genoa would be so disrespectful, just on a human level. Now I expect them to never speak to me again for the rest of my life. They had seven months to say something, they lacked respect without reason or apology.”
