Mario Balotelli may be away from the Premier League but that still doesn’t prevent him from making headlines wherever he goes. The Italian striker currently plying his trade with French club OGC Nice was recently heard speaking to Sky Italia about the current Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp.
When questioned about the German, he was heard saying, “Klopp doesn't know me, I spoke to him ONCE, he told me to go somewhere else, work hard and then return”. The Italian instead in his nonchalant way responded with a goodbye and said that they wouldn’t be seeing each other again.
The petulance of the Italian may have irked the German, but as has been noticeable in the past year, the Liverpool coach refuses to be dragged into controversies. Even the recent Snapchat outburst by Sakho wasn’t entertained by him with the media.
Instead, the German politely averted the topic and said whatever words were exchanged it applies to the entire squad. The German’s constant focus on the game and his player’s abilities to deliver has been a breath of fresh air instead of discussing the off-field controversies, that are generally hyped by the British media.
Nice change for Balotelli
Balotelli has courted controversies throughout his career but appears to have found his niche at Nice having scored six goals in five games.
Speaking to Sky Italia, he further went on to state that it wasn’t anyone’s mistake that he couldn’t settle at Anfield and was of the view that the environment wasn’t ideal for him to perform. He continued in the same vein stating that injuries weren’t in his control and that was the main reason for his inability to put in performances expected of him. The Italian was on hand to score the winner against Lorient on Sunday, but that was before he picked up a red card.
Also read: Top 10 most expensive squads in Europe
When questioned about his decision for choosing to play in France, the Italian said, “I chose Nice for the climate, I wanted to be in a relaxing but beautiful place, where it's difficult to get out the wrong side of the bed. The other reason I chose Nice is because there's a decent group of young players. We're all about the same age”.
The Italian though has reposed the faith shown in him by the French club working hard for his team as he looks to get his international career back on track. The Italian is not a part of the national team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and is well aware that it is only his consistent form that can get him into Giampiero Ventura’s squad.
For more articles like this and all news related to the wide world of football, please click here.
