Mario Balotelli. Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time. A long time. The Italian striker who dazzled the world a decade ago has drifted into an abyss of irrelevancy. So, where is Balotelli now? The 30-year-old signed a new contract that will see him playing in Turkey for the 2021-22 season.
Mario Balotelli has just signed his contract as new Adana Demispor player in Turkey. Mario joins as free agent after leaving Italian side Monza. #Balotelli @AdsKulubu pic.twitter.com/IGLum7vB3y
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 7, 2021
Ailemize Hoş Geldin! S U P E R M A R I O B A L O T E L L I #İkiDeli #Balotelli pic.twitter.com/UtQTJPKuH0
— Adana Demirspor (@AdsKulubu) July 7, 2021
Balotelli joins newly promoted Turkish side Adana Demirspor. This is the first time the club will play in Turkey’s top flight in 26 years. As for Super Mario, Adana Demirspor will be the 10th club of his career and the fifth since 2019.
How Did Balotelli Get Here?
When casual fans think of Balotelli they probably think that he’s still playing for Nice in Ligue 1. Little do fans realize that he has played at three different clubs since he left Nice for Marseille in January 2019 after disputes with head coach Patrick Vieira.
Balotelli had a solid stint at Marseille for the latter half of the 2018-19 season and notched eight goals in 15 appearances. He was even making headlines again after he celebrated a goal on his Instagram live.
After finishing the season at Marseille, he headed back home to Italy in August 2019 to play for Brescia. His time at Brescia was marred by being subjected to racist chants on multiple occasions from opposing fans and missing training sessions. Brescia got relegated, Balotelli’s contract was terminated and it was off to the next club for Super Mario.
Balotelli didn’t find a new club for nearly six months and trained with a club in Italy’s fourth tier while being a free agent. In December 2020 he finally signed a contract with Monza in Serie B. The seven-month stay at Monza wasn’t great but certainly wasn’t terrible. Balotelli scored on his debut and contributed six goals in 14 appearances.
Now Balotelli will look to avoid relegation with his new team in Turkey. If he’s looking to keep getting a new club after every season, then I highly recommend a visit to Major League Soccer. I’m sure there’s a designated player spot that will need to be filled.
