Italian striker Mario Balotelli has officially signed with Genoa as a free agent, marking his return to Serie A after more than four years away from the Italian top flight. The announcement was made by the club on Monday, welcoming the 34-year-old forward back into the league where he made his name.
Balotelli, who had been without a club since the end of last season, will join a Genoa team currently struggling in the league, sitting third from the bottom in the standings. With the team managing to score only seven goals in their first nine matches, manager Alberto Gilardino will be counting on Balotelli to bolster their attack. Throughout his Serie A career, Balotelli has netted an impressive 52 goals in 141 appearances.
Before joining Genoa, Balotelli played for Turkish side Adana Demirspor, where he faced challenges due to a knee injury. Despite these setbacks, he managed to score seven goals in 16 matches during his last season there, although his tenure ended on a sour note with a first-half sending-off in May.
Known as ‘Super Mario,’ Balotelli began his Serie A career with Inter Milan in 2007 under manager Roberto Mancini. During his time at Inter, he won three league titles, including being part of the historic treble-winning squad under José Mourinho in 2010. Balotelli later reunited with Mancini at Manchester City, where he secured another league title and an FA Cup before moving to AC Milan and Liverpool. His journey also included stints in France with Nice and Olympique de Marseille.
Balotelli’s last Serie A appearance was with Brescia in the 2019-20 season, where he scored five goals in 19 matches before a brief spell in Italy’s second tier with Monza and a subsequent move to Turkey and then Switzerland.
On the international stage, Balotelli has scored 14 goals in 36 appearances for Italy. He was part of the squad that reached the Euro 2012 final against Spain and played in the 2014 World Cup. His last call-up to the national team came in 2018, when Mancini included him in the squad, but it has been over six years since he last donned the Azzurri jersey.
With Genoa set to face Fiorentina on Thursday, this move represents a pivotal moment for Balotelli as he aims to revive his career and demonstrate his ability to compete at the highest level once again. This could be his last opportunity to make a significant impact in professional football, following a career often marred by controversy and disciplinary issues.
