Mario Balotelli's scandal files

It is said to have been a complicated contract that the busy consultant Mino Raiola negotiated for his famous client Mario Balotelli. The Italian scandal kicker at his new club Olympique Marseille will even receive bonuses for “appropriate behavior” towards fans, teammates and referees – actually a given in an employee relationship. It is a trial collaboration, initially scheduled to last six months, with a handsome salary.

“Super Mario” at his performance. © APA/afp / BORIS HORVAT

“Training, playing and scoring goals” are his goals, said Balotelli at his presentation on Wednesday after he had successfully completed the medical check. So far this season he hasn't been able to score a goal. The 1998-year-old has not been considered by his exasperated Nice coach Patrick Vieira, the 28 world champion, since the beginning of December. As always in Balotelli's career, a contract ends prematurely - with corresponding background noise. “Public suicide” at Inter Balotelli is just Balotelli, rarely has the saying about “genius and madness” been as true as it was for the son of a Ghanaian immigrant family. He made his professional debut at Inter at the age of 17 and was only celebrated until star coach José Mourinho had enough of the antics. After the professional known as “Super Mario” threw his jersey onto the pitch after the 2010 Champions League semi-final against FC Barcelona, it was over. President Massimo Moratti spoke of a “public suicide”. Darts at youth players and fuss around a child Balotelli moved to Manchester City on the island for around 30 million euros, where he first dismantled his luxury car because he was not used to left-hand traffic. During training, he argued with teammates and is said to have thrown darts at the club's youth players. In total, fines of more than 400 euros are said to have accumulated. In the end, his goals didn't help either.

Balotelli was not happy at Milan. © AFP / IAN MACNICOL

Balotelli afterwards described his return to Italy in 2013 – this time to Milan for 20 million euros – as “a big mistake”. The egocentric saw himself as a victim of fans, opponents and referees. However, he continued to work diligently on his negative image himself. The child he did not recognize with TV presenter Raffaela Fico dominated the gossip columns for weeks. To do this, he hit a journalist's camera. It's just a shame that it was an employee of Sportmediaset. The station belonged to Silvio Berlusconi, his boss in Milan. Returning from vacation overweight After his stint at Liverpool FC didn't have a happy ending, Balotelli's future seemed uncertain - until Lucien Favre took up the matter in Nice. He scored an impressive 43 goals in two seasons. In the summer, Favre went to Dortmund, and Balotelli came back from vacation two weeks late because he was overweight - which angered the new coach.

So now Marseille. Both clubs had already been negotiating a change for two months during the summer break. Now the striker is supposed to save the season. The gap to second place OSC Lille, the next opponent on Friday, is already nine points.

But there won't be a stroke of genius from Balotelli this weekend. “He will strengthen us, but he hasn't played for a long time. It is impossible for him to play against Lille,” said coach Rudi Garcia.

FR Ligue 1 International	SP	TV	P
1. Paris St Germain	31	76:29	70
2. AS Monaco	31	58:41	58
3. Stade Brest	31	49:33	56
4. Lille OSC	31	45:27	55
5. Nice OGC	31	36:25	51
6. RC Lens	31	40:34	46
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Mario Balotelli's scandal files

The checkered career of scandal striker Mario Balotelli is set to get back on track at Olympique Marseille. There was nothing but trouble in Nice recently – as is always the case with “Super Mario”.

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