The striker has become infamous for his antics
Mario Balotelli was left embarrassed after being snubbed by Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.
Former Italy international Balotelli is a free agent following the end of his second spell at Turkish club Adana Demirspor.
Between 2010 and 2013, he played for Manchester City.
Balotelli later had a spell at Liverpool.
He has also played for the likes of Inter Milan, AC Milan, Nice and Marseille.
The 34-year-old is now looking for a new team and the Kerala Blasters were strongly linked with him.
However, it has been reported that the Indian side has turned down the chance to sign Balotelli, citing two concerns.
One reason is Balotelli’s status.
Kerala Blasters anticipated that signing a player of Mario Balotelli’s global status would be financially unrealistic.
They predicted that the scenario would be similar to when Brazilian icon Ronaldinho was linked with FC Goa but the deal collapsed due to his hefty salary demands.
Kerala’s board wanted to avoid a similar situation.
The second reason is due to Balotelli’s disciplinary record, both on and off the pitch.
The striker has become infamous for his antics, often clashing with managers and getting into trouble.
Incidents have happened at almost every club he has been at.
Earlier in 2024, Balotelli was filmed lighting a small firework in the Demirspor dressing room.
During his time at Manchester City in 2011, his £3 million rented Cheshire mansion caught fire after a friend was said to have set fireworks in the bathroom.
Balotelli escaped the fire unhurt at 1 am.
Just 36 hours later, the Italian scored against rivals Manchester United and unveiled his notorious “Why always me? T-shirt.
Shortly after signing for City in 2010, Balotelli crashed his car on the way to training.
He was found with £5,000 in cash in his back pocket and when asked why he was carrying so much money, Balotelli responded:
“Because I am rich.”
Kerala Blasters were reportedly concerned about his antics so they avoided signing him.
Day 1
Kerala Blasters were asked of their interest in signing Italian striker Mario Balotelli. Given the maverick striker’s status and disciplinary record, the club did not pursue this as it was not a realistic target. Balotelli is currently without a club.#TransferSecrets
— Marcus Mergulhao (@MarcusMergulhao) September 8, 2024
Meanwhile, the ISL side had a quiet yet effective summer transfer window, signing the likes of Noah Sadaoui and Jesus Jimenez Nunez.
While signing Mario Balotelli would have been a landmark moment for Indian football, following in the footsteps of Diego Forlán and Alessandro Del Piero, the club ultimately chose a more cautious approach.
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