Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has officially joined Serie A club Genoa on a free transfer. The 34-year-old forward has been without a club since leaving Turkish Super Lig side Adana Demirspor earlier this summer.
Balotelli’s return to Italy marks a significant moment as he resumes playing in his home country more than three years after his departure from Monza. He was part of Manchester City’s title-winning squad in 2012 and now joins a struggling Genoa side currently positioned in the relegation zone.
Under the management of Alberto Gilardino, Genoa finds itself in 18th place, having accumulated only six points from their first nine matches of the season.
Throughout his career, Balotelli has often made headlines for both his on-field talent and off-field antics. His time at Manchester City included a notable training-ground confrontation with manager Roberto Mancini, as well as the memorable moment when he displayed a “why always me?” T-shirt after scoring during a 6-1 victory against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
During his two and a half years with the Blues, Balotelli scored 30 goals, playing a key role in securing the club’s first league title since 1968. After a brief initial stint at AC Milan, he moved to Liverpool in 2014, a transfer that proved unsuccessful, leading to a loan back to the San Siro.
Since then, Balotelli has played for various clubs across Europe, including French teams Nice and Marseille, as well as Italian clubs Brescia and Monza.
He was a part of the Italy squad that finished as runners-up at Euro 2012 but has not represented his country since 2018.
