Mario Balotelli has said signing for Liverpool was "the worst mistake of my life" before revealing he did not get on with Jurgen Klopp. The 36-year-old, once the most popular Italian footballer in world football, saw his career dwindle alongside his nation's declining footballing status, with Italy in action on Friday against France in the Nations League.
A £16m move that failed to pay off
Balotelli joined Liverpool in a £16million deal after the best goalscoring season of his career, having netted 18 goals in 41 games across all competitions for AC Milan. However, his stint at Anfield was brief, scoring just four times in 28 appearances.
The lack of suitability to Brendan Rodgers' style of play and inconsistency in front of goal saw Balotelli fall out of favour. He managed just seven league appearances in the last six months of the season. Rodgers' experiment to unlock Balotelli's talent crashed and burned, and the striker was subsequently loaned back to Milan, where he scored just three goals in 23 games in Serie A.
Klopp's arrival and a free transfer exit
A return to Merseyside beckoned after his temporary stint ended, but he was left out of the club's pre-season tour by Klopp, who was beginning his first full season in charge after replacing Rodgers in October 2015. Balotelli remained out of action for summer friendlies before joining Ligue 1 side Nice on a free transfer on deadline day. He made an immediate impact in France by scoring twice on his debut in a 3-2 win over Marseille.
He subsequently did not mince words when discussing his decision to sign for Liverpool. He said: "It was the worst mistake of my life. Apart from the fans, who were fantastic with me, I must be honest, and the players, who I had a good rapport with, I didn't like the club."
He then took aim at Rodgers and Klopp, explaining: "I had two coaches, Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp. As people they didn't make a good impression on me. I didn't get along with them."
A journeyman career since leaving Anfield
Balotelli has gone on to have a journeyman-like career over the last 10 years, playing for the likes of Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Adana Demirspor, Sion, Genoa and now Al-Ittifaq in the UAE. His last cap for Italy came in 2018, and he ended his international career with 14 goals in 36 games.
He famously scored both goals in their 2-1 win over Germany to reach the Euro 2012 final, but they then lost 4-0 to Spain. The four-time world champions have dramatically fallen in stature in recent years despite winning Euro 2020 after beating England on penalties. They have missed the last three World Cup tournaments, with their last goal in the competition being Balotelli's strike in their 2-1 win over England in 2014.
