The recently released former Genoa striker sharply criticizes the coach and the club: “They lacked the courage to say anything, I hope I never hear from them again.”
Immediately after his official departure from Genoa (which occurred between June 30th and July 1st), Mario Balotelli didn`t hold back, launching strong accusations. He shared his perspective on his difficult period at Genoa, where he featured in only 6 matches, playing a total of just 56 minutes – averaging only 9 minutes per appearance, with a maximum of 18 minutes in the last game under Gilardino before his dismissal. Mario spoke on the `Centrocampo` podcast after receiving a call from his brother Enock, directing his criticism widely, particularly towards coach Vieira.
“At first, he seemed to be considering me; we had two conversations. But then he gave me very little playing time, and when I asked for an explanation, he refused to talk. For me, it`s just him wanting to be the main character, wanting to be the center of attention. I see no other reasons. Or perhaps he simply hated my guts.”
Following his comments on Vieira, Balotelli also attacked the club as a whole: “They didn`t have the guts to say anything. Since Vieira was getting results, they didn`t take a stance: it was a lack of human decency. Now I hope they never contact me again in their lives: they had 7 months, they disrespected me without cause or apology. I never did anything to them; in fact, in the last game I played, which was 4 minutes against Napoli, I almost scored, and it seemed like they were afraid I might score.” He reiterated his criticism of Vieira: “I think he has issues with wanting the spotlight, because if I scored, I would then need to play, and he didn`t want that. It`s more than just an impression. He wanted to be Genoa`s savior, and you have to give him credit for succeeding, but he *insisted* on being the one who saved Genoa. He couldn`t stand the possibility that maybe I could score.” This contentious relationship might eventually become public: “I even wrote Vieira a very long message; I think one day I might even publish it. He never replied, never looked at me again, never said anything.”
