Just hours after Mario Balotelli`s contract with Genoa concluded, the forward wasted no time in publicly criticizing his former club and particularly coach Patrick Vieira. Balotelli accused the Italian manager of seeking personal attention and being motivated by a personal antipathy towards him.
Speaking on the `Centrocampo` podcast, Balotelli launched his attack on the club and its coach. He stated that the club “failed to take a stance” and “didn`t have the guts to say anything” because the team was achieving results. He explained he constantly sought the real reason for his situation, even sending Vieira a very long message that he plans to publish later. According to Balotelli, Vieira never responded or even acknowledged him, leading to Balotelli being excluded from the main squad and training alone. Balotelli claims the club told him Vieira feared he wouldn`t accept limited playing time. He dismissed this as “total bullshit,” suggesting the truth was simply that Vieira disliked him. He recounted two confrontations where Vieira repeatedly voiced concerns that Balotelli wouldn`t tolerate playing infrequently and would cause problems.
Balotelli further added that he now expects no further contact from them. He feels they disrespected him for seven months without reason or apology. He insisted he did nothing wrong, noting that against Napoli he played only four minutes but nearly scored. He speculated that Vieira seemed almost “scared,” suggesting the coach has “protagonism issues” and feared Balotelli scoring because it would then compel him to play Balotelli, which Vieira apparently wished to avoid. Balotelli asserted this was more than just an impression.
