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Former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has been put on a diet by AC Milan’s club doctors after being reportedly told that he was fat and overweighed by 3 pounds according to The Telegraph. Balotelli, who only scored a solitary goal for Liverpool has returned on loan to AC Milan for a season in the summer transfer window.
In his return to the AC Milan side for a friendly against fourth division side Modena Balotelli scored one goal, provided one assist and also won a penalty in a 3-2 win. AC Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, who previously praised the Italian striker’s work ethic on returning to Milan, was critical of the forward’s weight because of not playing regularly.
After the match the former Sampdoria boss in an interview to Italian daily Gazetta Dello Sport said: "He's not played for a while and he still has to improve. He's training well and his physical tests are satisfactory, but he's three kilograms overweight: he's on a diet and when he's ready he will play."
Milan CEO Adriano Galliani, meanwhile, was rather excited at seeing the maverick striker’s long range goal saying "His fitness is improving, physically he's in a good place and he can do what he wants when he has the ball. Let's hope his goal augurs well for the rest of the season. When I see goals like that I get excited."
Usually more famous for off the field incidents rather than his play on it, Balotelli has reportedly agreed to follow a strict code of conduct as a condition of returning to the club he cheered for as a boy. How well he adheres to this code will be a major key to the success of this move. Also he is behind Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano in the pecking order for a starting berth.
With Mario Balotelli back to the Serie A, fans of AC Milan would expect a similar start from the former Manchester City player as the last time when he banged in goals left right and center for the club in his first few matches. Milan fans saw as much when he scored 12 goals in 13 appearances for the Rossoneri after arriving on the last day of the winter transfer window in 2013. If Balotelli does truly focus, the impact he can have on Milan could be crucial for the hopes of AC Milan’s scudetto chances.
