Balotelli sends message: ‘Understand what it means to disrespect someone’ | OneFootball

Mario Balotelli sent out a cryptic message after Genoa coach Patrick Vieira froze him out. ‘Maybe they’d understand what it really means to disrespect someone like this.’

The striker came back to Serie A as a free agent on October 28 after talks with coach Alberto Gilardino, but the situation was transformed within weeks when Vieira was brought in.

The pair have a history and SuperMario was quickly relegated not just to the bench, but frozen out of the squad completely.

Balotelli hits out at Genoa after snub

A handout photo made available by Genoa CFC of Patrick Vieira (R), the new head coach of Genoa, during his first training with the team in Genoa, Italy, 20 November 2024. EPA-EFE/GENOA CFC PRESS OFFICE

Balotelli posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account today.

“Someone around here would deserve to see not a mature Mario, but the rebellious 16-year-old Mario, maybe then they’d understand what it really means to disrespect someone like this.”

He accompanied it with a video of himself standing in the Genoa locker room, where he was surrounded by boots, shoes and flip-flops.

It might even have been a storage or laundry room at the club training ground.

Now 34, Balotelli had been out of action for a few weeks following surgery to his hand, but now that he is back and ready to play, Vieira does not seem eager to call upon the centre-forward.

He made just six appearances for Genoa, for a grand total of 56 minutes of football, the most recent on December 21.

There were no goal contributions, but still managed to get two yellow cards.