Mario Balotelli

Mario Balotelli to Barnsley?

By Joe Prince-WrightNov 18, 2020, 8:04 AM EST

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Mario Balotelli to Barnsley is not a transfer story many of us would have expected to see emerge, well, ever.

But the Italian striker, 30, is a free agent and the English second-tier side have reportedly reached out about bringing him to Oakwell. Via our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, Balotelli’s agent has held talks with Barnsley’s co-chairmen Chien Lee and Paul Conway.

Remember: Billy Beane also owns 10 percent of Barnsley.

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Balotelli left his contract with hometown club Brescia in Serie A over the summer and has been without a club since. The former Inter Milan, Manchester City, Liverpool, AC Milan, Nice and Marseille forward has had a nomadic career and there has never been any doubt about the quality he possesses.

Barnsley are currently in midtable in the Championship after surviving relegation last season and the Tykes will no doubt be in a relegation scrap again this season. There would be something magical about Balotelli returning to England and rescuing the South Yorkshire side from relegation to the third tier.

It would just be so, Mario.

Many believed that MLS would be the next port of call for Mario Balotelli, but he has been training with Serie D side Franciacorta to stay fit and it seems like he plans to be playing in Europe in the upcoming season.

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Balotelli turned away from Brescia training ground

Associated PressJun 9, 2020, 11:49 AM EDT

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BRESCIA, Italy — Days after reportedly being fired by Brescia, Mario Balotelli was turned away by the club when he arrived for training on Tuesday.

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Balotelli walked up to the gate of Brescia’s training ground and, following a brief conversation with a club employee, he turned around.

As he walked away he said to media, “Now say that I don’t want to train.”

Balotelli was reportedly fired by his hometown club last weekend for failing to report to training as the Italian soccer league prepares to resume three months after being stopped by the coronavirus. The former Italy striker said he had stomach problems.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport said Balotelli sent another doctor’s note on Monday night to the club saying he had recovered, but that it didn’t arrive in time to send to the relevant authority and so he wouldn’t have been insured if he had injured himself in training.

Balotelli signed last August with Brescia – the city where he grew up with his adoptive family – in an emotional homecoming for a player who has jumped back and forth between the Italian, English and French leagues.

He scored five goals in 19 Serie A matches.

Fan who aimed chants at Balotelli banned from sports events

Associated PressJan 9, 2020, 5:09 PM EST

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VERONA, Italy — A Sicilian man was banned from European sports events for five years Thursday for directing racist chants at Brescia striker Mario Balotelli.

Verona police issued the ruling after reviewing evidence from the Hellas Verona-Brescia game on Nov. 3.

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The 38-year-old man was also barred from frequenting areas that fans pass through on match days.

Balotelli angrily kicked a ball high into the stands and threatened to leave the field because of the racist chants directed at him during the game in Verona, which was suspended for several minutes.

Balotelli, who is black, was also subjected to racist chants by Lazio fans during a game last weekend.

Balotelli was born in Italy to Ghanaian immigrants and has represented the Italian national team. He recently returned to Serie A after several seasons in France.

Lazio fined $22,000 for racist chants at Balotelli

Associated PressJan 8, 2020, 1:10 PM EST

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MILAN — Lazio was fined 20,000 euros ($22,000) and at least temporarily avoided a stadium closure on Wednesday after its fans targeted Brescia striker Mario Balotelli with racist chants.

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Serie A judge Gerardo Mastrandrea requested that further details on the case be handled by the Italian soccer federation prosecutor to determine exactly where in the stadium the chants came from, and to what extent Lazio collaborates in terms of identifying those responsible, before possible further punishment.

Sunday’s game was halted for a few minutes shortly after the half-hour mark and an announcement to stop the chants was made to fans at the stadium in Brescia.

Brescia was leading 1-0 at the time following a goal scored by Balotelli, who had also been subjected to racial abuse earlier in the match.

Balotelli posted a video of his goal on Instagram after the match and wrote: “Lazio fans that were today at the stadium SHAME ON YOU!”

The 29-year-old Balotelli was singled out by Lazio fans for abuse all match with other offensive chants, that weren’t specifically racist, against him and his family.

“As has always happened in the past, Lazio dissociates itself in the most exhaustive way possible from the discriminatory behavior carried out by a very small minority of fans during the match against Brescia,” Lazio said in a statement after the game.

Lazio won 2-1.

Balotelli was also the target of racial abuse earlier this season when he threatened to leave the field because of racist chants directed at him by Hellas Verona fans during a match in November.

Racism has been a problem all season in Italy with offensive chants also aimed at Romelu Lukaku, Franck Kessie, Dalbert Henrique, Miralem Pjanic, Ronaldo Vieira and Kalidou Koulibaly. All of the players targeted – except for Pjanic, who is Bosnian – are black, and many of the incidents have gone unpunished.

Serie A: Atalanta bounces back by hammering Balotelli’s Brescia

Associated PressNov 30, 2019, 9:50 PM EST

ROME (AP) Mario Balotelli showed flashes of form as he returned to Brescia’s lineup after sitting out a game due to disciplinary reasons. But it was another Mario who made the biggest impact in a regional Serie A derby with Atalanta on Saturday.

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Mario Pasalic scored either side of halftime and Atalanta won 3-0 to stay in the Champions League qualifying places.

Balotelli hit the post early in the second half and had several other chances. Still, last-placed Brescia lost its sixth straight and 10th in 13 matches this season.

Brescia hasn’t scored, and has conceded 10, in Fabio Grosso’s three matches in charge since replacing Eugeno Corini.

“We played with fear and if the opponents smell timidity they take advantage of it,” said Grosso, who is coaching in Serie A for the first time. “I haven’t been here for very long. It’s going to take time and hard work to put something worthwhile together.”

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Atalanta moved level on points with fourth-placed Cagliari and fifth-placed Roma — with the top four finishers qualifying for the Champions League.

Pasalic was left unmarked to head in Brescia’s opener and scored his second with a slick backheel flick from close range.

Josip Ilicic scored Atalanta’s third by finishing off a counterattack in added time.