Mario Balotelli has played for 12 different clubs during his career – including Liverpool – and could be on the move once again this summer.
Mario Balotelli could be heading to Spain’s third division next season as rumours of an imminent departure from Genoa build a head of steam. The ex-Liverpool and Manchester City striker, whose career has seen him play for a variety of clubs since his early success, is reportedly set to join his 13th team.
The 34-year-old joined Genoa in October, signing a deal that keeps him at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium until the end of the season. But, after just six appearances for the Italian outfit, he looks set to move on.
The Italian’s contract runs out on June 30, while Spanish media outlets are reporting that his agent is in discussions with Real Murcia. Previously, Balotelli was in negotiations with CF Intercity, a third-tier club based in Alicante, and it seems a similar move could be on the cards.
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The striker’s representatives recently met with the Murcia president, Felipe Moreno, in Madrid, and talks have taken place with the sporting director, Asier Goiria, about a potential contract.
Murcia, located in south-eastern Spain, will compete in the third division next season following their defeat in the promotion play-offs.
They’ll be aiming for a return to the second tier in the 2025/26 campaign.
The club boasts a history of 18 La Liga seasons and holds the record for the most second-division titles with eight.
However, they haven’t featured in La Liga since 2008 and they were relegated to the fourth division in 2022 – due to financial issues, as per reports from The Mirror.
Clearly, the Murcia hierarchy believe that the addition of a high-profile player like Balotelli could tip the scales in their favour, following their play-off semi-final loss to Gimnastic de Tarragona after finishing second in the league.
Balotelli, who will celebrate his 35th birthday in August, has enjoyed an eventful career across Europe, playing in Italy, Turkey, England, France and Switzerland, but never in Spain. If he joins Murcia, it would be his 13th club after stints at Lumezzane, Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Sion, Adana Demirspor and Genoa.
His time at Genoa was less than memorable – with all six of his Serie A appearances occurring in November and December. Two bookings were the extent of his contributions, although a hand injury accounted for most of his absences.
Balotelli was brought to Genoa by Alberto Gilardino, who was dismissed just weeks later. His successor, Patrick Vieira, was less enthusiastic about Balotelli, despite their shared history at Inter Milan and a brief overlap at Nice.
Vieira sidelined Balotelli, leading to a pointed social media post from the Italian forward.
Sharing a picture of himself in the Genoa dressing room, he wrote: “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.”
