October 29, (THEWILL) – Mario Balotelli has signed for Serie A side, Genoa, on a free transfer, marking his return to Italian football after more than three years away. The former Manchester City striker was available following his departure from Turkish club, Adana Demirspor, in the summer of 2024.
The Italian international joins Genoa at a crucial time, with the club sitting 18th in Serie A with just six points from nine matches. Manager Alberto Gilardino will hope Balotelli’s experience can help lift the team from the relegation zone.
Balotelli’s most successful spell came at Manchester City between 2010 and 2013, where he scored 30 goals and played a key role in their 2012 Premier League triumph. His time in England was marked by memorable moments, including displaying a ‘Why Always Me?’ T-shirt after scoring against Manchester United in a 6-1 victory at Old Trafford.
Following his spell at City, Balotelli moved to AC Milan before joining Liverpool in 2014. His career then took him across Europe with stints at Nice, Marseille, Brescia, and Monza, before his recent spell in Turkey with Demirspor.
The 34-year-old, who has 36 caps for Italy and was part of their Euro 2012 runners-up squad, has not represented his national team since 2018. His arrival at Genoa represents another chance to revive his career in Serie A, where he first made his name with Inter Milan.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
