Mario Balotelli had eagerly awaited a return to Serie A, hoping for a call from Genoa. But less than a month after arriving, it seems he may already be regretting his decision. The Italian striker finds himself in a tough spot after the coach who insisted on signing him, Alberto Gilardino, was recently dismissed. Taking his place is Patrick Vieira—a man with whom Balotelli has a complicated relationship.##EDITORS_CHOICE##This marks the fourth time Balotelli and Vieira will work together. They were first teammates at Inter Milan and later at Manchester City. Years later, their paths crossed again in Nice during Vieira’s early days as a coach. After starting his managerial career with New York City FC, the French legend faced a bigger challenge in Nice—partially due to Balotelli.Back then, Vieira openly acknowledged the difficulties of managing Balotelli’s behavior. Like many coaches before him, he tried to guide the volatile striker but struggled to make a lasting impact.”I have to think twice before I say anything because I risk losing a fantastic player. When it comes to Mario, I either want to respond to him, smash him against the wall, or leave him hanging on a coat rack—but I can’t, because I’m no longer a player. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret, so I try to keep my comments constructive,” Vieira said in December 2018.😳 Vieira and Balotelli do NOT like each other “His isn’t made for team sports, it’s very difficult for me to work with him.” – Vieira“I never would’ve left Nice if it wasn’t for Vieira.” – BalotelliThey’re now reunited at Genoa 🥴 pic.twitter.com/q9HqMB9AMq— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) November 19, 2024 A month later, Balotelli left Nice on a free transfer to join Marseille. Reflecting on their time together, Vieira later admitted how challenging it was to work with Balotelli.”His mindset was difficult for a team sport. The philosophy I wanted to establish—teamwork and a strong work ethic—was hard to reconcile with a player like Mario. It was really tough for us to work together, so we decided to part ways,” Vieira said in a 2020 interview with The Daily Mail.Balotelli, on the other hand, claimed he had no personal issues with Vieira but was dissatisfied with his playing style.”I lived in Villefranche—it was crazy. I laughed every day, went to the beach every day. It was a dream life. The problem was that Vieira’s style of play didn’t suit me. I got along with him personally but not in terms of football. If it weren’t for those issues, I’d never have left Nice,” Balotelli said in April this year.##NAJAVA_MECA_8512001##Now, nearly six years later, they are together again. The question looms: can they work together this time? Genoa’s president, Alberto Zangrillo, is confident there’s no cause for concern.”Balotelli is an intelligent person, and so is our new coach. Are there disagreements between Mario and Vieira? They’ll hug each other in front of me. I’m sure they’ll collaborate excellently,” Zangrillo assured.However, Vieira may not have much time to focus on Balotelli. His main concern will be keeping Genoa in Serie A, as the team sits just one point above the relegation zone after 12 rounds of play.
